Reunion
by QueenJ15
Summary: Many truths are revealed, blood is shed as are tears and we finally get some closure.
1. Chapter 1

_All characters belong to GRRM unless stated otherwise. The events follow scraps of events from the book/TV show as well as my own imagination._

* * *

The Wall was weeping. He looked at it and sighed.  
He recalled Old Nan's stories and how scary he and his brother found them. _Half-brother_ , he reminded himself.  
The Wall had been his home for some time now and yet it didn't feel like it. He had lost and gained so much there. The memories came back to him as if it was yesterday when his Uncle Benjen first took him to the Wall. He remembered Father's hesitation when he asked to take the Black. He remembered Arya's laughter and Bran and Rickon playing. He could even see Theon following at Robb's footsteps and Lady Catelyn always scolding at him.  
And it all had gone downhill when they got notice that the late king Robert and his court were on the Kingsroad on their way to Winterfell. Lord Eddard had seemed excited then. He loved King Robert like a brother and they had won together Robert's throne. Robert had been betrothed to Father's sister Lyanna who had later been kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon had been sired during Robert's rebellion when Lord Eddard had turned his back on his honor.

Jon had never known his mother. His father never spoke of her. He loved Lady Catelyn and his trueborn children and he loved Jon but whenever Jon had asked of his mother he never got the answers. Only promises. Always promises.  
Being on the Wall gave him a sense of newfound family. True, he missed his half-siblings, he missed the safety that Winterfell provided but he had turned his back on the boy that he was and took the vows to become the Man he was born to be.

His time on the Wall had changed him. He had lost a dear mentor in the face of the Lord Commander, he had lost many brothers, but he had also found what love meant – in Ygritte's eyes and warm embrace. He had found a brother and friend for life in Samwell Tarly, and for as long as he had Ghost by his side he was never truly alone. And still, when the eternal darkness of death had found him he was alone. The last thing he'd heard was Ghost's howls in the cold night. _I am sorry,_ he remembered thinking.

And then the Lady Melisandre had brought him back. And Stannis had lost against the Boltons. And somehow his sister Sansa had found her way to the Wall.

It was promising to be a cold day. He knew it would snow and he wanted to pack his things and leave. He did not know where to go or what to do but he was certain that His watch had ended. He had lived and died for the realm. Now it was time to live truly in that second chance that Melisandre or her Red God had given him.

"Where will you go?" Ser Davos had asked.  
"South or to Essos. I don't know."  
"You are Lord Commander." Melisandre added. There was no love between the Red Priestess and the Onion Knight but they had agreed to follow Jon Snow even to the ends of the world.  
"I was Lord Commander and I died serving the Realm. Now I am simply Jon Snow. The bastard of the late Lord Eddard Stark." Jon said and then heard a commotion in the yard. He got up and with Melisandre and Davos following him closely behind he walked out to see a lady with bright auburn hair… someone he thought he'd never see again in a million years.  
"Sansa?" he mumbled under his breath, startled. The lady saw him and started running towards him and before he knew it, he was holding his sister tight like he'd never had before. His past with Sansa had been rocky to say the least but so much had happened to the both of them that none of the past quarrels mattered anymore.

Jon instructed Ser Davos and Melisandre to take care of the Lady Brienne and asked for meat and mead to be brought to his room where he himself lit a fire. Sansa looked cold and tired but happy to see him.  
"Tell me everything." He said giving her a cup of ale. The Black Brothers were not known for their ale but Sansa looked like she needed a drink.  
"I wish we never left Winterfell..." Sansa started. She told her tale of sadness and torture and Jon listened carefully. Sansa admitted to him that she had lied to protect Joffrey and how that lead to Arya banishing Nymeria and Lady's death. Jon noticed that Ghost had moved from his side to Sansa's almost to comfort her. They hadn't known of Lady's death but Jon was sure that Ghost understood Sansa's words. She then told the tale of the happy first months after they had gotten to King's Landing and how everyone seemed so noble and valiant to her. With each passing sentence her expression changed more and more as she shared the story of the King's death, Father's imprisonment, Lady Catelyn capturing the Imp and everything else that had happened in Sansa's time. Some hours passed until she was finally done and she looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.  
"Bran lives and is beyond the Wall and he told my friend Samwell that Rickon is in Lord Umber's hands." Jon decided to break some good news to Sansa. Well, he didn't like that his brother was Beyond the Wall but as far as he knew, both of his little brothers were alive. Sansa sat quiet for a while and then spoke.  
"You let Bran go Beyond the Wall?" she shrieked in a manner that reminded him a lot of Lady Catelyn.  
"I have not seen Bran since we left Winterfell. I have not seen Rickon either."  
"You mean to tell me that you are Lord Commander and yet our crippled brother managed to sneak away under your nose?" Sansa gasped. Jon didn't know whether to laugh or not because silly quarrels (although, Bran and Rickon's safety were nothing but a serious matter) reminded him of when they were children, safe and sound behind Winterfell's walls.  
"I never knew he was here, yes. My friend told me before I sent him off to the Citadel to become Maester." Jon admitted. He had been furious with Sam's choice to listen to Bran and not report to Jon the request to be let beyond the Wall.  
"So, Theon was telling the truth." Sansa sighed. Jon knew from her tale the horrors that their father's ward had endured and despite everything he had done Jon agreed that no one should suffer that fate.  
"He was. Sam told me that Bran told him that Rickon is with a wildling woman named Osha and Shaggydog in the Last Hearth. He should be safe there." Sansa sighed again. She had thought her younger brothers dead just like Robb, Mother and Father. "What of Arya then?" he dreaded the fact that no one knew anything of his little sister. His favorite sister.  
"She has not been seen since the day Father was taken. The Lannisters killed her Dance master Syrio Forell on the day we were meant to go on a ship back to Winterfell." Sansa shivered at the memory.  
"Arya had a dancing master?" Jon tilted his head. He knew that this was very out of character for Arya.  
"He taught her how to sword-fight it seems. That's what the Lannisters told me, at least." That made Jon laugh.  
"I gave her a sword. The day when we were leaving Winterfell. We named it Needle because of how much she hated working with needles." _Stick 'em with the pointy end_. He remembered telling her.  
"We should take back Winterfell. We could get Rickon from Lord Umber and you can send rangers to find Bran beyond the Wall and Ramsay will run away like a pup with his tail between his legs."  
"We cannot tell anyone that Bran and Rickon are alive." Jon interrupted her. "It is for their own good. Bran will come back sooner or later from Beyond the Wall. He might even find Uncle Benjen. And Rickon is a child. They are both safe as long as Summer and Shaggydog are with them but we should not strip the protection of death from them. Winterfell now belongs to the Boltons."  
"The Boltons are monsters and Ramsay killed his father. Winterfell does not belong to monsters. It belongs to the Starks and even without Arya and Bran and Rickon we can take it. I am Lord Eddard's trueborn daughter and you are his son…"Sansa started passionately and Jon could see the spark in her eyes.  
"I am Lord Eddard's bastard son." Jon interrupted once more.  
"Bastard or not, you have more claim to Winterfell than Ramsay does." Sansa gritted her teeth. "We can raise banners and get an army and win back our seat. It belongs to us. Our family is there." Jon thought of the crypts where his father and their entire family lay. A shiver went through him as he remembered that dream of walking through the crypts. He nodded.  
"We call the banners."

And so they did. They had Ser Davos and the Lady Melisandre, the loyalty of House Mormont with its Lady Lyanna and her sixty-two swords, as well as few other houses that were still loyal to the House Stark. The wildlings too had agreed to fight for their cause. Word got to them that Rickon was given to Ramsay and was now hostage in Winterfell and that made Jon's blood boil.  
"We have to get Rickon back." He said during the final war council before the battle.  
"We won't get him back." He couldn't believe what he was hearing from Sansa's own mouth. She had wanted to go and declare that Lord Eddard's youngest son was alive and now she was saying that they'd never get their brother back. "He is a threat to Ramsay and Ramsay will kill him sooner rather than later."

To everyone's sadness, Sansa had been right. Rickon had made the mistake of falling for Ramsay's games and before Jon could get to him he had fallen from an arrow that had pierced his heart. When they won Winterfell Jon ordered for Rickon to be buried beside their Lord Father and Sansa's direwolf Lady and Sansa took the matter of dealing with Ramsay into her own hands.

Jon went to the cold crypts. He felt the eyes of the Kings of the North following him until he got to his Father's resting place and sat opposite him. For the first time in forever he felt like a boy once more. He yearned to hear words of comfort from Eddard's mouth yet all there was in the crypt was silence and coldness. _Winter is coming._ He reminded himself once more. He felt the eyes of his uncle Brandon and his aunt Lyanna also on him as he was walking out of the crypts and that made him shudder.

Little did he know but Bran was on his way home.

* * *

A month and a half or so after Sansa had told him that winter was finally here did Bran finally come through the gates of Winterfell. Jon had gotten word from his brothers on the Wall that rangers had found Meera and Bran in the woods nearest to the Wall and they had requested safe passage back south. Jon had immediately sent for a guard to make sure that Bran finally made it home safe with his friend.  
Ghost howled when Bran stepped through the gate. Summer was nowhere to be seen and neither was the old stable boy that they were told had helped Bran and Rickon escape.  
Sansa and Jon were both waiting in the yard because one of the guards had ridden forward to announce Bran and Meera's arrivals. Sansa had ordered that the beds were made for Bran in his old chambers and she had ordered one of the guest chambers be ready for Meera. The girl had kept their brother alive and they owed her everything.

Sansa and Jon rushed to Bran's side and hugged him tight. Neither of them had not seen him awake since that they he had fallen from the Tower and neither of them had seen him since they'd left Winterfell. Sansa started crying and held onto him tight because Bran looked grown and more like Lord Eddard just like Sansa had grown to resemble Lady Catelyn.

"Thank you." Jon turned to Meera who smiled shyly back at him. "You kept him safe and brought him back to us. We owe you so much."Meera bowed and was then accompanied by one of their servants to a room where a warm bed and bath, mead and meat were waiting for her.  
"Where is Summer, Bran?" Sansa asked as Jon carried Bran to his room. Bran's smile fell.  
"Summer and Hodor saved us when the White Walkers found us." Bran didn't know whether he should tell the Story of the Three-Eyed Raven to his brother and sister. "Look, I need some rest and then we can talk, please." He did not remember the last time when he had slept in a bed, let alone in a warm place. "Where is Rickon? Is he still at the Umbers?" Bran inquired remembering the difficulty with which he had forced his youngest brother to stay on this side of the Wall. He caught the glimpse that Sansa and Jon shared and that was all he needed to know. "Leave me." He whispered and turned on his side. Jon and Sansa obeyed his wishes and let him sleep until nightfall.

Sansa had taken care of Meera and gotten as much out of her as she could but it seemed that Meera had promised Bran not to share any information without Bran's approval.  
Bran on the other hand hadn't really slept but thought once more of the vision he had had in the weirwood beyond the Wall. He had seen his Aunt, the Lady Lyanna in a bed of blood, with Lord Eddard by her side. Promise me. Lyanna's voice echoed in Bran's head. He knew he had to tell Jon. He knew that Lord Eddard would have wanted that but it was too late for him to tell it now. Jon had to know of his true identity. But was Sansa trustworthy?

Bran called for a servant to gather Jon and Sansa and when they both came, Jon had requested the servants to pardon them infront of Meera and then serve meat and mead in Bran's chamber so they could speak privately. The talk that was about to be had was not meant for everyone's ears.

The sanest thing to be done was to listen to their stories first. Bran knew that. He did not want to trace back his steps to when they had been Hodor, Jojen, Meera and Rickon and Osha with Summer and Shaggydog. It hurt too much. So instead, he listened carefully what his brother and sister had to tell him. Sansa went first and Bran felt sad that his childhood dream of becoming a knight didn't really happen but then again his mission of being the raven was much more important than any swordplay. It angered him that they did not know what had happened with Arya and he noted to look for her in his visions. He tried not to react when he found how Sansa had sold away Lady and Father and Mother and Robb to the Lannisters but then they were all children. It was different now and when she told him how the Knights of the Vale had helped them win back Wintefell he felt grateful that this dreadful story had ended that way.

Bran knew little of Jon's tale but he paid just as much attention to it as he had paid to Sansa's. His was equally as painful and it left a dry feeling in his mouth as Jon was closing in on the end of that tale. Bran knew that he'd have to show Jon the vision and he had a hunch of how to do it but he didn't know whether he should show Sansa too.

"I have to show you something." Bran said finally. "It will frighten you but before I show you I must explain to you that I am the Three-eyed raven and I do not know how long I am meant to stay on this side of the Wall for but I know I have to help you in the War that is to come." Bran looked at Jon who had paled. He reached out and made a gesture for Jon to sit closer to Bran. "Sansa, my pardons but this is only for Jon's eyes." Sansa did not quite understand but nodded and stepped away. Jon looked at Bran hesitantly and grabbed his hand which triggered Bran's vision all over again.

Jon looked around. They were in the desert and it was smoldering heat. In front of him stood young Lord Eddard and his bannermen and opposite of them, guarding a Tower were three knights dressed in white. The knights were wearing white cloaks and white armor with the three-headed Targaryen dragon on their breastplate. _Kingsguard_. Jon realized. As the scene of fighting unfolded before his eyes Jon studied every participant and the surroundings. _Where are we?_ As if Bran had heard his thoughts, he led Jon to follow after Lord Eddard up the stairs when Howland Reed was left to guard.  
They climbed up the stairs and walked into a room that smelled of roses and blood – like raw iron and earth. A woman was laying on the bed in the room and she was covered in blood. Jon wanted to go and help her but he couldn't move. Bran was holding him back. The woman called out for Lord Eddard and he sat by her side. _This is Lady Lyanna._ Jon realized. Lord Eddard had rarely talked of her yet he had ordered for her to be buried next to her father and brother. Jon knew that she had been kidnapped by the Prince of Dragonstone and that Robert Baratheon had started a war to win her back. Still, she died and Robert had been forced to marry Cersei Lannister.  
The woman was crying and she seemed feverish. He looked around and saw a harp sat in the corner of the room and two servants looking after something. Lyanna wept. **I want to be brave like a wolf, Ned**. She told Lord Eddard. Jon did not understand why he had been brought here. **Promise me you will protect him**. She went on. **If Robert finds out about him he will hunt him down and kill him. You have to protect him, Ned. Promise me.** One of the servant girls brought something small wrapped in blankets to Father. Lord Eddard looked down and saw a newborn boy with Lyanna's eyes.  
Bran finally let go of Jon and Jon stepped forward. Lyanna's breaths were shallower now and Jon felt as if his heart was shrinking with every breath taken. He looked down on the babe that Lord Eddard was holding and saw eyes that looked like his own. _Lyanna is my mother._ Jon looked at her and suddenly he wanted to scream. He moved away from Eddard and the babe and sat next to Lyanna in the bed. He wanted to hold her or help her in any way that he could, to ease her pain but also to feel her touch and know that his mother loved him. He held her hand, knowing that she could not feel him yet it brought him comfort to know that his mother was not alone in her final moments. _She loved me._ Jon swallowed his tears. _She died bringing me life_. Jon dared not look at Bran. But when he held Lyanna's hand, her memories slipped into his mind and he was suddenly in the Throne Room in the Red Keep and the Prince of Dragonstone was by his father's throne. Lyanna had not thought much of him then. Then the tourney at Harrenhal happened and when the Silver Prince had placed the winter roses in her lap, Jon felt her happiness. A secret meeting in the weirwood in Winterfell. The journey to Dorne. The news of her pregnancy. Their secret marriage. The songs that the Silver Prince sang. Watching him leave. Hearing the news of her father and brother's death. Dreaming that Rhaegar would return to her and seeing his three friends down by the Tower. Her heart breaking at the news of her love's death. Jon felt the love that Lyanna bore for Rhaegar and Jon. She had loved them both with everything that she had.  
It was not enough. He wanted to save her yet he was helpless.  
Bran had pulled him away and Jon found tears falling from his eyes.  
"She was my mother." He said breathlessly. "And Rhaegar was my father." It felt odd to say it out loud yet the truth fit and he finally felt whole. There was no longer a mystery of heritage and he felt eternally grateful for everything that Lord Eddard had done for him.  
"We are cousins, you and I, your grace." Bran smiled humbly. He wondered if he'd done Jon a service by revealing the truth but he was certain that in that last night of his father's when both Bran and Rickon had dreamt of seeing him the crypts, Eddard had tried to tell Bran the truth. Now Father can rest in peace. Bran thought.  
"Do not grace me, please." Jon wiped away his tears. "You are the Lord of Winterfell. Not I."  
"I may be Lord of Winterfell, but you are the true Lord of the Seven Kingdoms." Bran said. He could not imagine sitting in Father's or Robb's seat. It would be too much. There was another role that he had to play for now. A much more important one.  
"You say no such thing. They married, I saw them yet I don't bear the name Targaryen. I am a Snow." Jon smiled shyly. "They sired me and Lord Eddard did everything to protect me. When the time is right, we might reveal the truth but for now, only you and I shall keep this secret. Too many bad ears are in this castle and I wish for Littlefinger to be gone." Bran agreed. He'd known who Littlefinger was – his grandfather, Hoster Tully's ward and he'd grown up with Ladies Catelyn and Lysa but he did not trust him one bit especially after all that Sansa had confined in him.  
"Are you going to tell Sansa?" Jon considered it but he had still not forgiven her for not confiding that the Knights of the Vale were on their way. Had he known, maybe Rickon would have been alive.  
"No. When the time is right, I will but not for now." He looked down at his hands.  
"Tell me about Rickon." Bran pleaded.  
"The Umbers gave him over to Ramsay, when the battle was about to start he let Rickon go and told him to run as fast as he could, but Rickon ran in a straight line and before I could reach him, Ramsay shot an arrow through his heart." Jon glanced at Bran who had paled. The two youngest brothers had always been close and Jon realized that Bran blamed himself just as much for Rickon's death.  
"He is with Mother and Father now. This is what matters." Bran looked down.  
"Ghost will stay with you tonight. I will go down to the crypts." Jon did not want even Ghost there because he felt the need to be alone with his mother and uncle. He was not a bastard. He was a prince, a dragon one and that, and his mother had been a noble lady who had died bringing him into this world.  
"Ghost must stay by your side." Bran said and met Jon's look which was unyielding.  
"Ghost, you stay here with Bran. I will be here in the morning." Jon petted the wolf's eyes and took the seat where once his brother had laid. Jon walked out of the room and met the quietness of the castle. He walked down to the crypt with a torch in his hand, and for the first time he was not afraid. He passed by all the kings and queens that he had been told of by Maester Luwin and Old Nan and remembered all their stories. But the story of the Lady Lyanna and her undying love for the Dragon Prince was the one that mattered to him most. Jon took his seat before the statue of his lady mother and reached out to hold the stone hand. Tears streamed down his cheeks once more. **I am sorry.** He whispered. He knew that the Kings of the north were watching him but he did not care. **I am sorry I never knew you. I am sorry I did not avenge you.** He apologized over and over again, anger washing over him in tides as he remembered the day when King Robert had arrived in Winterfell and his demands to come to the crypts and visit Lyanna. He recalled the drunken boasts of how he had killed Prince Rhaegar on the Trident and how his betrothed had died. **I wish I had been that boar that tore out his guts.** Jon knew nothing of his father but the tales that the Prince had been noble and valiant, and he had also felt Lyanna's love for him.  
His gaze shifted to Lord Eddard's crypt. **Thank you, Father for keeping me safe and keeping your promise to her. Thank you for giving me a home and raising me as one of your own no matter how costly it was to you. I will honor your killers the same way I should have honored my fathers** '. Jon promised.

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 _A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave comments and tell me what you think of this chapter. I will try and update as often as I can! Lots of love x_


	2. Chapter 2

Havoc wreaked in Daznak's Pit. One moment she was listening to Jorah's dedications, the next Daario was with her, trying to help her flee from the Sons of the Harpy. Then Drogon's black wings covered the sky. He landed in the center of the pit and she ran to him despite Daario's warnings that sounded above the crowd and she climbed on his back. A wave of guilt washed over her as the memory of her chaining up Rhaegal and Viserion surfaced infront of her eyes. _Forgive me._ She prayed. She did not know whom she was praying to but the prayer was there and she hoped it would be answered. She was tired and in dire need of rest. She closed her eyes and after some time when she opened them she saw that Drogon was flying over the Dothraki Sea.

It seemed that her memories were out for blood. Drogon landed in the tall grass where once her khalasar had gone by and she climbed off him. Before she could talk to him, he flew off leaving her in the vast sea of grass. She needed water so she started walking through the sea, on the look for a stream or some source of water.

In the distance she heard the noise of hooves running through the grass and big crowds of people. Once, she had been khaleesi to the Dothraki, wife to the greatest Khal who ever lived and mother to the Stallion who would have mounted the world. _If I look back, I am lost._ She reminded herself. A khalasar was coming and there was nowhere that she could hide from them. I am the blood of the dragon, and these are my people. They will do me no harm.

She was afraid but also determined to not show it. When Drogo's wound had become infected and he had fallen from his horse, most of their khalasar had abandoned them and reformed. **The Dothraki follow strong leaders, khalessi.** Jorah's voice echoed in her head. She stood tall and proud as the khalasar approached. They rode in a circle around her and she studied their face but she had not known them. They seemed to think her a slave or a whore that had run away from her master.

They bound her in ropes and had elected to bring her back to the Market in Vaes Dothrak to be sold off as a slave or whore once more.

The vastness and the scents of Vaes Dothrak made her heart hurt. The last time she was here, she was a girl, a sister, a wife and a mother. Now her children were the dragons and she was alone in the world.

The city had not changed. It was busy as always and it smelled wonderfully of herbs and spices just like Dany remembered it. Absentmindedly her bound hand reached down to where her belly had been once swollen with her son.

The bloodrides that had bound her brought her forth to their khal. She was exquisite – silver hair and purple eyes, something not oft seen. She gave them no indication of who she was or that she understood their language until the bloodrider suggested they sell her.

"You will unbind my hands and set me free." She said proudly in Dothraki. It was a strong command that turned the heads of the bloodriders and the khal alike.

"And why should we do that, silver-haired, slut?" one of the bloodriders spat. Dany felt the khal and his khaleesi's eyes on her.

"I am Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt, Khaleesi to Khal Drogo, Mother of the Stallion that would have mounted the world, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Slaver's Bay." She spat back and they all looked at her started.

"Khal Drogo is dead." The other khaleesi spoke in her turn. "You belong to the Dosh khaleen." Dany had known since coming to Vaes Dothrak the first time that the fate that awaited her should Drogo die was to serve the Dothraki with the other crones. But she was a dragon, not a crone. She did not reply to them and allowed herself to be dragged off to the crones.

"You ought to have been brought back to us when your khal died." The eldest crone had told her. "You belong here, the Dothraki are your people and you will serve the Great Stallion in life and in death alike." She took off the ropes off Dany's arms that had left blisters on the delicate skin and put an ointment to help. They helped her out of her clothes and into a dress similar to all of theirs.

"I am the blood of the dragon." Dany said looking at all of their faces. There were young girls, some younger than her and many old women that had spent their lives here in Dosh Khaleen after their husbands had died.

"Now we take a vote to decide whether you stay here with us or take a punishment for not coming at your own will." One of the eldest crones announced.

Dany bid her time in Vaes Dothrak trying to not let the memories and the happiness that her first true home brought her drown her in her new-old reality. She loved her dragons and she knew that her being queen was important to many people and that it was also her birthright yet something was missing – the promise of a family. She missed the sound of the bells that rung in Drogo's hair whenever he walked, she craved his touch on her skin and she missed feeling Rhaego's kicks in her womb. _I must be strong._ She reminded herself. And she was strong. A fortnight after she had been dragged to Vaes Dothrak the crones had still not come to a decision on her fate and so they allowed her to stay in with them so they would study her and decide.

Then a murder happened in the sacred city – and she'd known it was one of hers that had come to look for her. Bearing weapons and shedding blood was forbidden in Vaes Dothrak and exactly the breaking of that rule revealed whom it was that had done the murders.

"I need to make water." Dany told the crones and the eldest one ordered one of the younger girls to follow Dany. And then that same girl was in the hands of Daario Naharis who shut her mouth with his hand so she wouldn't scream.

"Khaleesi." Jorah sighed happily. "We are glad to find you."

"You killed those men, didn't you?" She looked at them sternly. Vaes Dothrak was a sacred place no matter their intention or hers.

"We did. But we also found you." Daario insisted.

She forced them to let go of the other khaleesi and then told them to hide while her plan works its way to the real world. The two men that loved her didn't like the sound of that, or the fact that she would have to face the judgement of the khals and crones but they could do nothing but obey.

The crones led her to the temple where once Drogo had promised to take the Iron Throne and give it to their son; the same temple where she had eaten the stallion's heart to strengthen her son and yet he was stillborn. It gave me the strength that I needed to survive. But this was also the place where her brother had gotten his crown.

"Khaleesi." The khal whose bloodriders had captured her spoke first. "You stand trial for avoiding your duty among the Dosh Khaleen. We will now decide what to do with you." The other khals around him nodded. It was five khals in the big temple and their bloodriders but no one else. The giant hearths burned bright and the flames warmed her but also made her stronger.

"I have not committed a crime to sit here and be judged by you." She spoke back. "And even if I had, you are unfit to judge me. I am the dragon." The khals burst in laughter as she seamlessly moved closer to the stage around which the hearths were. "We stand in a sacred place." She started steadily. "Here I got the prophecy for my son. Here my beloved husband promised me the Iron throne and here I lost the last of my brothers." Her fingers traced the outline of the first hearth and she met the horrified looks of the men. "I lost my husband to a lamb maegi's curse, I lost my son to the shadows. Some of my khal's khalasar threatened me and yet here I stand. I am the dragon. The blood of Aegon the Conqueror flows through my veins. I am the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Dragon's Bay and the Dothraki are my people, and they need me. You were right, I have a duty to them. And my first act as their khaleesi will be to rid them of you. She turned over the first hearth and met their horrified looks. They knew what was coming for them and it was high time she cleansed the sacred land and gave these people a new beginning. The fire caught onto her clothes and burned them away just like it burned away the temple and the false khals. Dany enjoyed the touch of fire to her skin and watched them burn and when they died she stepped outside of the temple where all of her people bowed down to her.

It took them two days to prepare – gather food for the short journey, sort the men who were going to come along and prepare the horses. Dany had ordered that good soldiers would stay behind to protect Vaes Dothrak. All the rest were to follow Dany to Meeren and help her cleanse the city of the Sons of the Harpy. Jorah and Daario followed her anxiously everywhere and they couldn't really believe what she had done. The heirs to the old khals wanted to be her bloodriders and one even brought forward a silver mare like the one Drogo had given her. It was only fitting.

"Is it wise?" Daario asked. "Are they to be trusted?"

"They are my people. I trust them." Dany said finally.

"The Dothraki follow the strong leaders." Jorah added. Dany looked at him carefully. "And not only did she burn their leaders but she always lives to tell the tale. They will follow her."

And so they started for Meeren. Dany wondered when she would see Drogon again and made a vow to herself to free Rhaegal and Viserion as soon as she got to the city. And a day or two's ride after she heard Drogon's wings in the distance.

"I'll ride ahead. Do not follow me." She looked at Daario. Jorah tried to protest but Daario stopped him as Dany galloped ahead. She left the silver not too far away from Drogon , knowing that her khalasar would take care of it and she climbed up on Drogon's wings. She whispered to him to fly to them and he did and then landed on a huge cliff.

"I am your khaleesi. I am the Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt. I cleansed Vaes Dothrak of the false khals. I freed Slaver's Bay and renamed it Dragon's bay. I am Queen of Meeren and Queen of the Seven Dragons. You are my people. The Dothraki are not used to being led by a woman and yet you all followed me. I am meant to choose only three bloodriders but I will not do that. I choose you all just like you chose to follow me. Will you help fulfill Drogo's promise? Will you tear down the stone houses across the Narrow Sea? Will you help me get my rightful seat?" she yelled on top of her voice as her people all looked up at her and after a second's silence when her speech was done they all burst into cheer and started chanting her name.

She flew on Drogon's back all the way to Meeren, knowing that the Dothraki were galloping behind her. When she reached the skies of her city she saw that by the sea, there were hundreds of ships firing at the pyramid and the city. She made Drogon fly to the pyramid and when she jumped inside the balcony she saw Grey Worm, Missandei and a few strangers in the chamber above the Throne Room. There was a dwarf, a man of olive skin and a man with hair like hers. _Viserys._ She thought but she'd known this was impossible.

"Your grace." Grey Worm spoke in High Valyrian. "Do you wish for us to attack?"

"No, I will go into the vault and free the Dragons." She announced.

"Your grace, the dragons are free." Grey Worm looked at the Silver haired man and the dwarf.

"Good. I will deal with you later." She looked at the foreign guests and walked back to the balcony where Drogon came to when he saw her. She climbed back on his back and flew around the pyramid, knowing that when they hear their brother's wings Rhaegal and Viserion will follow. And she was right.

With all three dragons, she quickly took over the fleet of the masters and burned away the unnecessary pollution. The Dothraki had taken care of the Sons of the Harpy and helped the people of the city just as Dany had ordered and after she made sure they had settled and had been taken care of she went back to the pyramid.

Missandei had a bath with scalding hot water prepared for Dany. She couldn't wait for her handmaids to scrub her clean of the filth and ashes of the road.

"Khaleesi, what happened?" Missandei dared to ask as the handmaids were scrubbing Dany's skin until it was red and raw. Dany had taken a liking to the translator and kept her close as a trusted advisor and friend. For the same reason she had made Grey Worm commander of the Unsullied and Ser Barristan commander of her Queensguard. Now she had to find a fleet large enough to carry her whole army over the poison sea.

"I went back and undid some wrongs. I came here and cleansed the city of the poison the Sons of the Harpy were spreading." Dany put it plainly. She was tired and sore and craved silence but she knew there would be no silence. She ordered Grey Worm to spread a guard of the Unsullied throughout the city so the city would be safe until everyone else rested and healed. There was also the matter of meeting the foreign guests but she couldn't and wouldn't deal with them tonight.

"Your grace, the guests ask an audience." Missandei said when she came back with the wine that Dany had asked for. She also brought a plate of cheese, bread and olives. Dany had been starving and she hadn't thought of food since they'd left Vaes Dothrak. Dany chewed on the bread and cheese and thought about it.

"I need rest, the guests can wait." She was never usually one to put off an audience but too much had happened in a very short time and she needed time to process it. She had to be the strong queen her people looked up to and not a scared girl. The scared girl was mostly dead and yet she'd seen a ghost in the chamber and it frightened her. "I want to see Ser Barristan."

Missandei nodded and left Dany but by the time the old knight came she had fallen asleep.

That night she dreamt of the warmth that Drogo's embrace offered her and the heat of the fire that burned away the temple in Vaes Dothrak. She woke up covered in sweat and drowsy as if she'd taken milk of the poppy or dreamwine.

She got up and washed her face, dressed herself and then called for her handmaids to bring her breakfast and braid her hair. She had decided to wear a long braid like Drogo had even without the bells. She would wear the bells when she took the Iron Throne.

Ser Barristan came soon after her maids brought her the food.

"You wished to see me, your grace." The old knight bowed to her. She smiled. He was like a father to her, the only sane male figure that belonged both to her old life where her family had been alive and to the present life where she was alone. He always gave her good advice and counsel when she needed it.

"Yes, sit." The old knight did as he was bid. "I want you to tell me who the guests are. You know you are in charge of the city and yet these guests roamed free in the pyramid when it was attacked. Who are they? Can we trust them?"

"Your grace…" he began but stopped himself for a second to chew on his worlds. "these guests are not random. They all come from the Seven Kingdoms." He looked at her and for the first time since she'd known him there was fear in his eyes. "The dwarf is Tyrion of the House Lannister. He is brother to the Kingslayer and Queen Cersei." Barristan looked down. "He claims that he killed his father and then the Kingslayer smuggled him out of Kings Landing because Cersei put a price on his head. He says he wants to get an audience with you to prove his intentions for your cause. He said you have his fealty and he would do his best to bring down his sister."

"A Lannister turning against his own kind? Is that truthful? And are you sure he is not an imposter?"

"He is not an imposter, my queen. And if he truthfully rid us of Lord Tywin then you ought to thank him. Lord Tywin is the one who ordered your brothers' children to be slaughtered." Dany grit her teeth. Ser Barristan had told her of the brutalities that happened in the Sacking of Kings Landing and she would never forget them. She wanted revenge for her brother's family, she wanted revenge for Rhaegar and she wanted revenge for her mother. _It was grief that took my mother. Grief for her son, her grandchildren, her family. She gave me life and let the sorrow swallow her._

"Alright then. I will give this Tyrion an audience later today." Barristan nodded.

"Tell me of the other two."

"The olive-skinned one is Prince Quentyn Martell who comes to marry you." The statement made Dany laugh. That man was not the first to want her hand, nor would he be the last. "He says that Ser Willem Darry made a pact with Prince Doran that when his daughter Arienne and your brother Viserys would have come of age, the two of them would marry and reunite the Houses Martell and Targaryen. Yet the deal could not be fulfilled when Viserys died and now they want you as retribution."

"I am no retribution." Dany said. "I am no one's consolation reward. The Martells are family and they will treat me as such and bow down to me for I am their queen." The marriage demands usually annoyed her but this one really got to her. "And the other one?"

Barristan took a deep breath. "He is your brother, your grace." He said finally.

"My brother is dead. I saw it with my own eyes. " Since when did ghost start roaming around freely? Was he back to haunt her? She remembered her hallucinations in the Red Waste when she and her people were suffering from the heat and lack of water. It is hard to die unmourned, sister. Viserys had said.

"Your other brother, your grace. This is Prince Rhaegar." Her heart froze in her chest. She'd known that her brother had been slain on the Trident by Robert Baratheon. He dared to follow his heart to the woman he loved.

"Are you sure?" she wouldn't dare get her hopes up. She'd heard of many false pretenders saying that they were her slain brother, or others claiming that Viserys lived with his face deformed by the molten gold, swearing that he would take his revenge. There had even been rumors that it was Viserys who had killed Drogo, but it was all lies. Her family was dead and it was up to her to take what was stolen from them.

"Yes, your grace. I swear it on my life. He has grown up before my eyes, become a man before my eyes. I would know him anywhere." Barristan swore and Dany's breath caught in her lungs.

"Bring him to me, immediately." She ordered and Ser Barristan nodded and left to bring the prince. He'd known that it would be difficult for her to face him but he was also sure that the fruit of their reunion would be rich and good for the entire known world.


	3. Chapter 3

When I opened my eyes, the world was fire. The flames were dancing all around me and I was stripped off my battle armor and laid down on a pyre. The fire had burned away the thin cloth someone had dressed me in and my hair was also gone. I closed my eyes for a second and I was back in the river, unable to catch my breath, dying as I hear Robert's booming laughter. _Was this the afterlife then?_

I jumped off the pyre and saw in the distance another fire burning and people sat around it. _Where am I?_ I wondered. I approached the second fire and saw that Arthur was sitting by it, taking care of his blade. He didn't notice me and from all the smoke my voice was almost gone.

"Where are we?" I finally managed to ask and my friend jumped. He looked at me as if I were a ghost, wandering around the field. I knew we were at war and that I had fought Robert one-on-one but there was something missing.

"How?" was all he managed to say before rising to his feet, giving me a strong hug and then falling on one knee.

"What?! Rise!" I commanded. I refused to watch one of my best friends kneel to me even if he was a part of my guard.

"You were dead. You died in the Trident. Robert hurt you with that cursed war hammer of his and by the time I found you, you were not breathing. I built you that pyre because I thought you should go out like a dragon."

"Yet here I am."

"Yet here you are." He agreed and studied me. There was a giant bruise spread across my chest but besides the missing hair I was untouched and felt as healthy as ever.

"We should leave before anyone notices you." Arthur insisted when I suggested we go back to King's Landing.

"I am not a craven, Arthur. King's Landing is left at Aerys' mercy and that means that he will probably burn away the city with wildfire before he surrenders to Robert or anyone else."

"No one says you are a craven. Aerys is mad and your mother and brother managed to escape to Dragonstone…" he started.

"And what of Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys?"

"Aerys commanded they stay there so Dorne will stay loyal to him." Arthur looked down. I grit my teeth. Aerys' madness would not cost me my family.

"I left Jaime in charge of their safety." I said and Arthur looked at me as if I too had lost my wits.

"Are you mad?" he dared ask

"No, Jaime would not betray me. We have trained together, fought together and he is a sworn guard. I am the future king. He will protect my family or pay the price with his head." I swore and Arthur nodded.

I put on whatever Arthur had managed to salvage from my old clothes and mounted one of the two horses. We had agreed to ride east and get on a ship to Dragonstone. My mother was great with child and I had to secure her place and my brothers' before I took care of everything else.

* * *

We rode for three days day and night, disguised but armed to a port by Duskendale from where, disguised as sellswords we travelled to Dragonstone only to find it besieged by the traitor Stannis Baratheon.

Despite Arthur's warnings, I wrote my mother a letter.

 _"Beloved mother,_

 _Do not believe the rumors of my death for they are not true. I am sorry that you are here alone and I will come and take you and Viserys to safety soon. Please do not worry for me. Ser Arthur Dayne is with me and we should thank him for saving my life once more. I have no army at the moment, they have all relocated to King's Landing but I will raise my banners and take down Aerys. Give my love to Viserys._

 _Your faithful son,_

 _Rhaegar "_

Arthur managed to call Ser Willem Darry who was posted to keep my mother and brother safe here in Dragonstone and he informed Arthur that my mother was well but heartbroken because of the rumors of my demise. Arthur passed the letter and on my command instructed Ser Willem that if he thinks that Dragonstone could fall before we take Kings Landing he is to take my mother and brother across the Narrow Sea and see them to safety. I had arranged safe passage for them.

 _What was that saying? Yes, you make the plans and the gods laugh at you._

None of it happened as I had wanted it to. My mother died giving birth to my sister Daenerys. I do not know whether she got my letter or not, but I know that somewhere in Essos, my brother and sister lived under the protection of Ser Willem.

King's Landing fell because Aerys believed that his old Hand had come to save him. Idiot. Jaime had slit his throat to help his father smuggle his army into the city. Robert had won the war and paid the Lannister dogs to slaughter Elia and my children.

Then I heard of what had happened at the Tower of Joy where I left my Lady Lyanna. Her brother had rushed to save her from me and found her dying. _She died giving birth_. I knew that. Lyanna and I wanted to have a child and for a time before Robert raised his banners I watched her be full of joy and be excited for our child.

 _I lost all my family in one blow._

Arthur says that for years on end I did not function. I remember many sleepless nights when I all I could see was shadows of my children and I could hear Rhaenys' footsteps running in the corridor or hear Lyanna's laughter once more.

I couldn't be near my siblings because Robert's dogs followed them closely and Arthur and I managed to keep them off their scent for as long as we could. After all those events we too crossed the Narrow Sea and stayed close to the house that Ser Willem lived with my brother and sister. I could never go to them or be by them but I gave the maid that served Ser Willem coin to manage the household and passed letters to him from time to time.

When Ser Willem passed, Arthur and I couldn't keep the house where they lived so we followed them close by near every location. Viserys was smart and presented himself as the King of the Seven Kingdoms and asked to have a roof over their heads and he would pay them back when he got his throne. Arthur and I killed as many spies and assassins as we found were following them and we made sure that they would have a roof over their heads. Arthur disguised himself often and even bought my mother's crown when in desperation for coin, Viserys sold it.

I almost broke my cover after a decade long disguise when we were in Pentos and I heard that Viserys was _selling_ Daenerys to the Dothraki. Living in Essos we had learnt a lot and if anything, it was not to mess with the Dothraki. I couldn't see how he could be serious about that. She was _our_ sister.

"I have to get through to him!" I yelled at Arthur who only sighed. He was dressed as a spice merchant but beneath all the cloth his sword was concealed.

"If anyone sees you, Robert's hounds will be on them once more and we won't be able to save them! If they are to be protected and if he is to stand a chance to go back to Westeros, she needs to be married off."

"She is _my sister_ and not a horse to be sold off to the highest bidder!" I yelled once more. Arthur sighed. I had almost broken my disguise many times, and just recently almost when I saw Daenerys, Viserys and their host Illyrio go for a walk in the Pentoshi market. Daenerys walked like a queen but there was fear in her eyes just like there had been in our mothers, but also there was fire.

A few days later Arthur came to our _home_ and told me that Daenerys was to be married to Khal Drogo in a few days time outside the city walls. The khalasar had already started setting up for the celebration and Arthur had even heard that Viserys bragged that Drogo would give him an army for my sister. An army to win back his crown.

We went to the wedding, but sat far back and pretended to be part of the slaves. It was an important day and I saw Viserys from a far but when I finally managed to get closer I saw that Daenerys was not eating and her eyes were full of tears. I prayed that this was a good choice for her and she would be safe because now we couldn't follow them to the Dothraki sacred city. Arthur and I were bound to stay in Pentos for the time being.

Some time passed before news started pouring in from the east. Daenerys was pregnant. Then not long after we heard that my brother had finally got his crown – of molten gold poured on his head by Drogo. Then we heard that of Robert's tragic demise and then his son's assassination.

After all that Rhaegar convinced his friend to sail for Slaver's Bay to follow Dany but it took them time to prepare everything and get to Meeren – they had to plan carefully so they wouldn't get caught on the way. Word had it that now Tommen and Cersei Lannister ruled Westeros.

"It's good time to take back your kingdom." Arthur said one night while they were drinking wine.

"I won't sit on that damned throne, you know it."

"You are too proud."

"I am not worthy of it. If I had won the crown before Robert maybe. If I had raised my siblings or saved my children… "

Arthur sighed. Rhaegar knew that his companion had his best interest at heart but the ghosts of his children and lovers still haunted him even over a decade later.

Arthur left him in a small inn once they got to Meeren and Rhaegar thought of what he was going to say to Daenerys. He knew that it could take a while before he could get an audience with her but still – the prospect of seeing her made his heart flutter and he was anxious. _She would probably hate me. She ought to hate me. I failed both her and Viserys._

Arthur came back in a rush, and he brought someone that Rhaegar thought would never see again – Ser Barristan.

"What's going on?" Rhaegar sat up and smiled at the Old Knight. "Ser Barristan, is that truly you?"

"My prince." The old knight bowed and Rhaegar hugged him. "When I saw Arthur I thought I was dreaming or that someone had poisoned my wine, but he told me your tale partially and now I came to see for myself that you are here."

Rhaegar smiled. Ser Barristan had served his family for a very long time and he had served even the Usurper but he was glad that he was in Dany's service now. He could entrust her life in his hands.

"Where is my sister?" Rhaegar asked and Barristan's face changed.

"She… there was an attack at Daznak's pit by the Sons of the Harpy and Dany flew on Drogon. We have sent out riders to look for her but no one so far has come back." Barristan looked down. Rhaegar knew that Dany had dragons; word of them went all around Essos but hearing Ser Barristan speak of the creatures made them even more real.

"Come, we must go to the Great Pyramid. You will be safer there." Barristan suggested and Arthur tried to argue but Rhaegar stopped him.

"No one must know who he is, until she comes back." Arthur insisted.

"I agree." Barristan nodded and gave a cloak to Rhaegar and then led the two of them to the pyramid.

The Great Pyramid had a huge statue of a Harpy mounted on top of it and many people came in and out of it, just as people did in the Red Keep. Unlike the Red Keep which felt like home, the Great Pyramid had an eerie feel to it. Barristan left Rhaegar and Arthur in one of the bigger guest rooms and he'd sent a tall olive-skinned girl to them.

"Your grace," the girl bowed to Rhaegar "My name is Missandei and I serve as Queen Daenerys' translator. Do you want to sup first or should I send in the servants with hot water for a bath?" she smiled and Rhaegar thought for a second.

"A warm bath would do us good." Arthur replied instead. "And don't your grace him. He will think himself too important." The remark made R chuckle and he nodded in agreement.

"Call me R. It would be discreet and please, don't tell anyone of my true identity or his. The world thinks us dead." The girl nodded and left them only for the servants to bring them warm water and new clothes half an hour later. Both the prince and the knight were scrubbed clean and given new clean clothes and then they were served fine wine and bread, cheese and olives for their dinner.

"Do you think she is alive?" Rhaegar was afraid to know the answer.

"Of course she is. You Targaryens are very hard to kill." Arthur smiled

"My mother died in childbed, Lyanna did too, my father and Viserys are long gone as well."

"Ah, but Viserys was no true dragon. You saw him. He sold her and he demanded what was _his_ instead biding his time. I don't like to speak ill of the dead but Beggar King he was. Your father was mad and if Jaime had not slain him one of the other brothers would have. May the Gods have mercy on his soul. Lyanna was a wolf and not a dragon, despite her new name." Arthur glanced at R which made the prince blush. He had confided in his friend that he and Lyanna had gotten married when she was pregnant and they didn't have the chance to announce it to the world. "And no one can be saved from childbed fever. You know Princess Elia almost died of it." Rhaegar nodded hesitantly.

Ser Barristan had posted a guard of Unsullied to stand day and night before Arthur and R's room despite their protests. After all, Dany had left him in charge of Meeren and the old knight thought it best for the two guests to remain secret and well-hidden until the worst passed. Many days passed and servants came in and out of their room to clean, feed them and wash them but seldom did the two get any word out of them. Dany was still not back, that was sure.

One day there was a great boom and the walls of the pyramid shook. Rhaegar and Arthur were playing chess and they jumped out of their seats. Minutes later the pyramid shook once more but then Ser Barristan marched in.

"Come." He rushed them out and the prince and knight followed him.

"What's going on?" Arthur yelled over all the commotion.

"The Pyramid is under attack. The Sons of the Harpy and the Masters seem to have united against us. The Masters want their slaves back and the Sons of the Harpy want our queen dead.

Rhaegar looked around. The translator girl and one man dressed in Unsullied uniform were there. Some soldiers were manning the door and there were a few soldiers inside as well. But they were not alone – there was a strange company of five – a man in a cloak, a dwarf, two women in silk dresses and a young blue-haired man. Arthur studied the room carefully just as he had done a million times before when they had been in hostile situations. Rhaegar's eyes were focused on the older woman with the silk dress. She moved with a grace that he'd known once and it was like all of a sudden he was home again in the Red Keep with the Dornish princess and their two children.

He started walking to them, unsure if the woman was someone close to Dany or if he was seeing a ghost once more but as he got closer, the woman looked up and met his gaze.

" _Elia?"_ he breathed. The woman's eyes filled with tears and she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him. He held her tight and close, his senses going crazy and he thought that his mind was playing tricks on him once more.

" _My love."_ She smiled and caressed his cheek gently then placed a light kiss on it.

"But how?" he kept holding her, his heart aching as it got rid of all the pain and misery that had gathered up in there.

"It is a long story and inappropriate for the time." Elia said. "But we must speak soon." She smiled; her eyes wise beyond their years, but it seemed that time had given her a gentle kiss and nothing more. Her skin was the same and her eyes seemed even kinder if that was even possible but there was also a fire in them. The young girl and the boy stood up behind Elia. Looking closer at them, Rhaegar recognized his children.

"Mother, who is this?" Aegon said warily, his hand reaching to his sword.

The cloaked man stood up before the princess could respond.

"My prince, there is no need for this." He took off his cloak and R recognized Varys the Spider. "This is only your lord father." The words seemed to strike a cord with the boy for he fell on one knee, and his older sister just reached out and hugged her father.

"Oh, how I've missed you." The girl, _the woman_ hugged him tight. She had dark indigo eyes like Rhaegar's but Elia's olive skin. Rhaegar held her close and started crying.

Another blow shook the pyramid and tore them apart. At this moment, a cry was heard in the sky and the Unsullied formed by a command of their leader and then through the balcony climbed Daenerys who looked dumbfounded and recognized only her men. He studied her carefully, trying to see if she was harmed but he didn't notice any wound or anything. It was true that she had grown and fierce at that, she was nothing like before in Pentos. Before he could say anything, she met his gaze and then turned around and jumped on the black dragon once more.

When the fighting was done, R asked Ser Barristan to tell him when Dany would be ready for an audience with him and the old knight promised he would. Meanwhile, they had convinced Grey Worm, the Captain of the Unsullied to let Elia and Varys, Aegon and Rhaenys and unexpected of all, Tyrion Lannister to remain in the same room. All covers had been blown the second that Elia and R had embraced and all cards were laid on the table. That of course wasn't very safe, and Arthur did not like that a spider or a Lannister knew that the Targaryen heirs were safe or that R was alive.

"We can't trust them." Arthur insisted, giving a sly look to Tyrion and Varys. "The Lannisters betrayed the throne."

"Yes, and this Lannister seems to be doing that exact thing now." R insisted. He had listened to Tyrion's pledge to House Targaryen as he explained how his sister, the Queen Cersei wanted his head to be a decoration on the gates of the Red Keep. "She believes I killed my nephew." Tyrion explained. "And I might not have liked the boy, but he was Jaime's blood as well as Cersei's." there had come rumors from Westeros that the boy was the product of incest. Rhaegar nodded. "Your brother slew my father so we will keep a close eye on you until you've proven your loyalties." R told him and the dwarf nodded and bowed. "Whatever you command, my prince."

R's look moved to Varys. The eunuch smiled and gestured for them to go to the furthest corner of the room to speak privately. The prince remembered all the Council meetings in the Red Keep and how he always thought that whatever happened, Varys always sought the best outcome for the realm.

"So, explain yourself old friend." R demanded as Varys' eyes glistened happily.

"I must start by saying that you have surprised me very pleasantly, Your Grace. Even I was fooled of your demise. Yes, the little birds tried to convince me that you did not die at the Trident but still, you did not go to Dragonstone nor come to King's Landing so I launched my own plan – I knew that the king would fall, and we all knew that it would be best for the realm if the king fell, so I made sure that the heirs would be secured should the new king prove to be a rotten fruit." R listened carefully to the spider's story.

"Young Jaime Lannister drove his sword through the back of his king and slew him after the king did not stop saying how he would burn them all for treason. He had placed thousands of jars of wildfire throughout the city and intended to burn everyone down and rise as a dragon reborn. Jaime stopped that nonsense and the Lannister army walked into the city not long before the demise of the king. I had found a wench in Flea Bottom that had good resemblance to the Princess Elia and she too had a babe and a small girl. I arranged for the Princess and your children to get out of the castle and onto a ship to Asshai where they would be safe. Well, a deal safer than Kings Landing or Dorne. If I had shipped them to Dorne, the realm would have bled more." Varys looked at Elia and the young prince and princess. "Ser Jon Connington fled with them and swore to protect them with his own life and they had enough gold to keep them safe. No one knew their true identities." R nodded. He was indebted to the Spider.

"Thank you."

"I did it for the realm, my prince." He smiled repeating his old words once more.

R moved to sit with his wife and children and hugged Rhaenys tight. Rhaenys was like an indigo-eyed shadow of Elia of the day that he first laid his eyes on her. Both children seemed happy with the reunion and they shared random stories that thrilled their hearts and R listened carefully and patiently, still only half-believing that this was his reality and that they were back with him.

"Your grace, the Queen will see you now." Barristan came in and looked at R who kissed Rhaenys' head and walked out, promising to Elia to see him later. Barristan led R to Dany's chambers in silence but when they got there they found her asleep on the bed. _It was a long day and a long journey. Sleep tight, little dragon._ R wished her.

Barristan apologized and led R back to Elia's chambers. R asked of him to stay with Dany tonight as Arthur would be staying with Rhaenys and Aegon.

"I will leave a guard posted at your door." Barristan insisted before leaving the married couple alone.

"My nephew is here." Elia said, taking a bite from a strawberry. "He wants to marry your sister on Doran's demands. I told him who I am but he does not believe it so he stays away. He whispered to his companions that this was Varys' sorcery and that we were not to be believed." She chuckled which made R smile. He loved Lyanna with every fiber of his existence, but Elia had been his first true love.

"Your brother is a fool to think that my sister would wed his son on demand." R smiled making Elia chuckle in agreement.

"Your sister carries a fire that our daughter has as well. Our son burns bright as your mother did and as my brother did."

"Did? And which brother?" R asked

"Oberyn." Elia looked down. "He was killed in combat by the Mountain while trying to avenge me." Elia took a gulp of her wine. "And now the Mountain lives to protect Cersei Lannister. He killed that wench and her babes that pretended to be us and served them to Tywin Lannister and now that the old lion shits gold in hell, and the murderer protects his cub lioness." She spat.

"I am sorry for your loss."  
"Oh we will get justice." Elia promised and R remembered the words of her house _Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken._

"We will, with Fire and Blood." He kissed her forehead.

Elia looked at him. "I forgive you." Her words took him by surprise. "I forgive you for that tourney in Harrenhal, and I forgive you for running away with her." She caressed his cheek.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"True, but that does not mean that I will inflict poison or hatred on myself or on our children." She gave him an encouraging smile. "When we take back Westeros I would like to return home to Sunspear and live out my days there."

"As you wish, my love." He promised.

"Our son will be your heir." She continued.

"He is my heir as he will be Dany's." his statement shook her.

"You do not mean to sit on the throne?" she asked.

"Not unless she asks it of me. She is free to choose if she will marry again or not, who she will marry. The throne is hers for the taking. She has earned it." He smiled.

"Wise. You are not the boy I married. Sorrow has changed you. Love has changed you as have grief and guilt." Elia smiled sadly. "I am sorry of the fate that befell your lady but Varys tells me your son lives." R took a step back.

"My _son?_ " he'd known that Lyanna died in childbed but he had never known what had happened to their baby.

"Yes, your son. Lord Eddard raised him as his own in Winterfell but now the boy lives on the Wall as Lord Eddard rots beneath Winterfell."

R's heart raced and he wished to live long enough to see his son even once.

"I dishonored you by running away with Lyanna." R looked at Elia.

"You were in love and your actions were rash. The lady was beautiful and she made you happy. She did me no wrong nor did your child." Elia hugged R. "You are always going to be my husband in the sight of gods and men alike. _I love you, Rhaegar Targaryen."_ She said finally.

That night, they spent in bed holding each other for the first time after so long and Rhaegar slept peacefully for the first time in a long while.

* * *

Ser Barristan came again in the morning this time rushing the prince because the queen demanded to see him at once. R had not thought of what his exact words to Dany would be nor did he know what she already knew but he was so excited to finally speak to her that his heart raced in his chest.

"Your grace." He smiled when Barristan let him in the room. Dany was sitting on her bed feasting on buttered bread and sipping orange juice.

"Sit." She said bluntly eyeing him closely. R felt odd but it was expected given that the queen had never met him and he would be disappointed if she trusted him straight away. He did as he was bid and met her eyes. _She has mother's eyes._ He thought and sent a prayer to their dead mother whom he knew watched over them.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Daenerys." He bowed his head.

" **Finally** is a very appropriate word." She gave him an accusatory look. "Ser Barristan swears that you are my brother and I trust that man with my life so I will not mount your head on a pike." She glared at him furiously. "Where _were you?"_ she demanded. Her eyes were full of tears but she did not give them power to wash over her face. "Why did you not come to us? Viserys and I were chased across the Free Cities and yet you come to me now, when I am queen, ready to take on the world." She threw her cup across the room.

"Viserys went mad with grief and he blamed me for everything. He blamed me for father's madness, for your fleeing, for mother's death, for being born, for the sacking of our home, for everything." She spat. She turned away from him to hide her tears and he did not know how to respond but to say.

"I was always close by. Arthur found me on the Trident and when he tried to burn my body, the fire healed me and here I am. We sailed for Dragonstone almost immediately to make sure mother and Viserys and you were safe and we gave Ser Willem gold should we fail in our attempt to take Kings Landing. We were too late and the attempts to raise banners failed. The Usurper took the throne, mother died and I convinced Arthur to follow you and Viserys to Essos and we'd bide our time there until you two grew up and then we'd take what is our own. I was there at your wedding and saw how frightened you were but I knew I shouldn't interfere because we did not stand a chance against the Dothraki. Also Viserys showed the signs of madness that our Father had.." R looked down, feeling grief for the little boy that his brother had been and the one he'd grown to be. "Arthur bought from you Mother's crown and I have it in my room." Dany looked at him and he was sure that Viserys had hurt her that day because Arthur had said that his knuckles had been bloody.

"Show it to me." Dany remembered the crown vividly, as it was the only memory of her mother that she had. R took her leave and went to his room to retrieve the crown that belonged to his mother. He placed it on Dany's table and she stared at it for a while before getting up and hugging him.

"Thank you for finding your way to me." She half-sobbed only once then swallowed hard. "I will thank the gods every day for this miracle." She looked up on him. "And we will avenge your wife and children, mother and father and our brother."

R cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "We need only to avenge our mother, father and brother, little dragon, for my wife and children and in a chamber downstairs. The spider Varys saved them and he brings them here as well as Tyrion Lannister who swears fealty to our house."

Dany stared at him not believing her ears.

"A _Lannister_ swears fealty to us?" she chuckled wiping her tears away. "Yes, I heard that and Ser Barristan thinks it true. What do you make of it?"

"He swore fealty to me as he will to you. And should he try to betray us, we could always send his head on a pike to make an example of what will befall his family." R suggested and Dany nodded. "He must prove his loyalty to you before anything. And should he prove useful, he may even keep his precious Casterly Rock if you approve." Dany nodded.

"And Ser Barristan says that the Prince of Dorne sends his son to marry me so we could bring the loyal house of Martell on our side again." Dany said and R nodded.

"Except, the Prince of Dorne does not know that his sister and our heirs live so there is no reason for the Martells to betray us." R smiled gently.

"And you are sure that it is your wife and children?"

"Yes. My wife is untouched by time and I would know my children anywhere."

"Good. We shall keep you safe from prying eyes then."

"There is one more thing." R added. "I have one more son."

"By your lady Lyanna?" Dany made him blush but he nodded.

"Yes, Elia says he was raised by Eddard Stark and he is now on the Wall."

"And I assume that you want us to sail to the Wall?"

"We must."

"The Wall takes no part in the realm's wars." Dany repeated the words that Viserys had taught her that Rhaegar had taught him the first time Viserys had seen a Black Brother in the Red Keep.

"I know. But I want to see him." R pleaded.

"All in due time, big brother. For now, we must find a way to sail home with my army and take back our home." She promised.


	4. Chapter 4

She left the meeting with the Westerosi lords feeling somewhat satisfied. It was clear to her that Varys' webs once spun in favor of Robert, but now that they were in her favor, she could as well put them to good use. Grey Worm met her in the inner chamber where Ser Barristan was waiting as well.

"I want one of the Unsullied to follow Lord Tyrion, and another to keep an eye on Lord Varys. I need to be sure they are plotting in my favor." Dany looked at Grey Worm who only nodded.

"It is a wise decision, my queen," added Ser Barristan. "Perhaps we should send the Spider back to Westeros to weave his webs in your favor there?"

Dany glanced at the serving girl and told her to find Missandei and tell her to fetch Rhaegar from his chambers, and the Princess Elia too. She considered the suggestion but she wanted to hear her brother's opinion too. Elia and Rhaegar walked in hand-in-hand, a husband and wife as if pulled out from a fairy tale. Dany's heart sunk a bit, as she too longed for that.

"Your grace," Elia curtseyed and Dany smiled.

"Sister," Rhaegar kissed her cheek.

"Sit, we have matters that need discussing,"

The two of them sat down and Dany saw clearly the beauty in her new court and council. She knew she would have to be just and do right by all families, but just this beginning thrilled her. She secretly hoped that Tyrion Lannister and Varys would prove true and then that more people from the other houses would join her cause, perhaps once she landed, and she promised herself she would hold a fair council that would include everyone else. No favorites.

"I received some useful information regarding our land. Lord Varys says Cersei Lanniser now usurps my throne. Both Lords have sworn to my cause, but Ser Barristan suggests that we may utilize the Spider across seas and have him broker deals with the other houses for support of our cause. I think we should make it clear to those lords that my throne would be secured as I have my heirs,"

Elia looked up. "You would name my children as your heirs, and Jon Snow?"

"Yes, they are my heirs." Dany confirmed.

"But you are young," Elia insisted.

"That does not matter. I am queen and I need heirs to inherit after me if anything should happen to me. If I were to die childless, Rhaenys, as the oldest of the three children will inherit. Then Aegon, then Jon. Of course, it would benefit us all if they all marry and have children of their own but I would not press on this matter, this is their choice and I will not sell them like cattle."

Elia sighed with relief. She knew that her children would be royal heirs, with a strong claim to the Westerosi throne, and she had raised them that way but she was happy that this queen would not sell them off into marriage.

"Thank you, sister." Rhaegar intercepted. Dany knew how much it mattered to him to have his son, the one he never met, acknowledged. She could see the spark in his eyes whenever someone mentioned the Lady Lyanna and she sometimes saw him wandering through the gardens with his head held low. It broke her heart because she felt the same when she thought of Drogo.

"I will send Varys to Westeros, he claims that the Houses Tyrell and Martell are in our favor, but I am sure he can weave his webs to win the rest over. If more houses are against Lannister, then we will be good." Dany was sure of it. She had seen first-hand Varys' webs spun, when Jorah was working for him under Robert's command and when the attempt on her life was done. And she remembered constantly being on the run with Viserys when she was a little girl and there was nothing that could convince her that that was not Varys' doing.

"Of course, House Martell is in our favor!" Elia vouched immediately.

"House Martell does not know that you are alive, nor that your children are alive, and they may not know for a little while longer, I am sorry. I am also sorry that your House is now led by your niece Arianne, Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes." Dany looked at the Princess.

"What about Doran?" she frowned.

"I do not know what happened to him, but Varys said that Queen Cersei did damage to both houses Martell and Tyrell and they are uniting for our cause," Dany was aware that this news hurt her but Elia knew war better than most people, and perhaps this new world led by strong women would finally heal the kingdom.

"I will also send some of the Unsullied to accompany Varys and they will carry the royal documents to the Houses that would side with us. And I will demand that all houses siding with us have armies that will wait for us on the shore when we land."

"Ask for each house to send their heir," Elia spat suddenly. Everyone looked at her, but Rhaegar was most concerned.

"They would never agree to that." Rhaegar looked at his wife.

"They will if I go with Varys," Elia argued. "Varys kept us safe for years, I can keep him in line, and he knows that his duty is to the throne."

"He kept you safe while helping Robert hunt down Viserys and I." Dany couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone. She knew that the hard days made her who she is today, but she still longed for peace and she promised to herself that any child she could hope for would be safer than she ever was.

"He kept us safe because we were considered dead, Robert knew that you and Viserys were alive and well, and you were threatening him. Ghosts did not threaten him."

"Fine, go with him, convince the families to fight on our side and restore us to our own." Dany glared at Elia. Rhaegar paled.

The meeting took some time to be over and Dany was glad when she dismissed them all. Rhaegar stayed behind with her despite following Elia and that made Dany happy.

"Are you truly considering sending her to Westeros?"

"In disguise, with Varys, I am sure she will be safe with her family. She was a beloved Princess and the people will fight for her. And no, you can't convince me otherwise. You and Rhaenys and Aegon are staying behind. I cannot risk your life. You are my heirs, Elia will ensure our path."

"Rhaenys and Aegon will not like this." Rhaegar added.

"I am sorry, but it is not up to them," Dany looked at him. "And before you even think of it, no you cannot go to the Wall to look for Jon. I could allow Elia to send him a letter on your behalf but in my opinion, it is you that should talk to him."

"I can't talk to him if you don't let me go with them!" Rhaegar lashed out.

"I am not losing you!" she yelled back and immediately wanted to take back her words. He had turned his back on her but then looked at her. "I do not want to lose you. I don't care what happens to me, I have survived the worst, it seems impossible for me to die, but you've been considered dead once, and perhaps my impossible immortality could protect you. If you stay by my side I can protect you, but I can't protect you across several seas. You will stay, train, train your children, train me, help me rally the troops and prepare the provisions for the ships. Meanwhile, I will decide who will rule Dragon's bay in my absence and what will happen here. I need you by my side," she looked down, ashamed of the burst of emotions. Rhaegar put his soft hand on her cheek.

"I will do my best to serve you and honor you. I am not happy about your wishes but they are my command and I am sure you know best. I am proud of you." His smile melted her and she hugged him tight.

Dany had about 3 hours of peace and quiet which she spent planning provisions, going through books and thinking about the future. She ordered not to be bothered unless really urgent and it worried her when Missandei came to announce that Prince Aegon wanted an urgent audience with her.

"Let him in," Dany said.

Aegon strolled in and bowed to Dany then looked at her like she'd never seen him before – lost and like all hope had abandoned him.

"What is going on?" she gestured for him to sit and he did, taking the chair next to her desk.

"Please do not send my mother away. I can't bear to be apart from her and if I can't accompany her to make sure she is safe then I will beg for her to stay." He blurted out.

"She was the one offering to go with Varys to keep him on our side." Dany argued. "And please, do not presume that I have not thought this through. Your mother is a respectable woman and I admire her deeply as a sister and as a fellow ruler, I am sure she will ensure the Dornish support even if their aim is to put you and your sister on the throne and not me, we are family and I trust her. Also, I am sending some of my finest soldiers to protect her and she will be as safe as she can be. She knows that war is no game and she is aware of the risk she is taking. You are a grown man and not a child, and I expected more from you, Aegon." Dany scolded him.

"She is everything I have." Aegon looked down.

"Not true. You have Rhaenys, you have Rhaegar and like it or not, I am here for you as well. Your mother has a key role in this world that we are trying to make and we must rely on her diplomatic abilities. She never got to reign as queen but she was a Dornish heiress, she knows diplomacy, she will help us heal our home and take what is ours."

"I will marry you if you don't send her away," He pleaded, desperate for his wish to come true to keep his mother safe at all cost. "I will give up any desires of travelling; I will give everything up for her to stay."

"I am afraid you are not in the position to bargain, I have made my choice and so has she."

Aegon looked at her once more before looking down. "Alright, I disagree with your choice but if something happens to her I promise I will not let her down." He bowed to Dany once more and left without saying anything else.

Of course, she did not know that Rhaenys was waiting outside Aegon's room for her brother's return.

"I told you it would not go your way!" she could always read his sulking face. The princess always got annoyed when her brother acted like a brat.

"I had to try!" he defended.

"You did not. You know very well Father would argue against it if he did not see it fit for her to go." Rhaenys argued. She knew that her mother longed to go back to Dorne and if being a diplomat was going to help the cause, she knew that nothing and no one would stop her from going.

"Our Uncles are dead; I doubt there is anyone alive that will recognize Mother!" Aegon yelled back and Rhaenys dragged him into the room like the child he was pretending to be.

"You are not a child, brother! You are a prince of the blood. This is our land that we are trying to take back, our home, this is a good queen, one that will see to justice. Our Father is here, we have an army and dragons, and we will go home! You may not remember it but I know what it is like to have a home and then to lose it!" she snapped. Rhaenys was usually the patient of the two siblings, and she was raised to be graceful even if someone was driving her mad.

"Yes, you are privileged in that!" Aegon yelled now in the privacy of his own room. "And how do you know that she is a good queen, a just queen? Viserys raised her and you know just as well as I that he was as mad as our grandfather!"

"Yes, both Viserys and Aerys were mad, but Daenerys is not!" Rhaenys looked at him. She fully understood the extend of his fear – they had been ghosts for the longest time and now it was time to go back to life, and the prospect of that life terrified both of them. "She is kind and just, and everything we were taught to be. If mother dies, which she will not, we still have Father and a massive army to protect us. Mother knows this game better than we do! Quit acting like a brat and be the royal prince you were born to be! Mother will get our brother back, she will get the armies and she will wait for us home. Stop being a sissy and let us work together to make her proud!"

Aegon stared blankly at his sister. He always admired her manners, she had been raised in a true court, she had seen their beautiful grandmother – a true queen, and their mother had raised her as a future queen. They both knew that they might be forced to marry each other as the Targaryen tradition ordered and he did not know how he would do that, but he knew, even if he did not like to admit it, that his sister would be a brilliant ruler and she would bring an age of prosperity and wealth with her reign. Rhaenys was the dream child.

"We do not know Jon Snow, how can you accept him as our brother?" Aegon looked at Rhaenys.

"Oh please, not this again!" she rolled her eyes. "The Queen will recognize him as our father's son, you know how much Father loved Lady Lyanna, a bloody war broke over that, and we are his siblings, we must protect him as we protect each other, we share blood, he is one of us. And you know we must not leave anyone behind." Her brother's expression softened. Rhaenys knew the bitterness that always accompanied the thought of Jon Snow and Lyanna Stark.

Their Lady Mother had told them about their father's affair when she first heard that Daenerys had been married off to the Dothraki Lord. Rhaenys remembered it as if it was yesterday. She was reading in the gardens under the shade of the tree and Aegon was at sword play with one of his many tutors.

"Children, we must talk," Elia gathered them around a marble table in the garden. They both obeyed and sat across her from the table and they immediately knew that something was wrong.

"What is it, Lady Mother?" Aegon demanded quickly.

"It is a tale that I have been putting off sharing with you, but it seems that the time has come and you must know the truth. I would like it if you did not interrupt me, and you may ask all the questions you would like afterwards." She waited for them to consent before proceeding. "Many years ago, when Rhaenys was very little and Aegon was still a babe, your father fell in love with another woman. At the time, it was very humiliating but he remained incredibly polite and kind to me. Our marriage was never one of love, but it was very like a friendship formed over an alliance – we were never in love with each other and that is okay because we could pour all the love we had into you two, which we did. Your father always loved you and I am sure he did all he could to protect us." She sighed. "However, the reason for the war was not only the Old King, your grandfather's madness, but also the Houses Stark and Baratheon being angry that your father "stole" the Lady Lyanna." She stared at her fingers, not knowing how to keep going and crush the image of the father they had dreamt of all their lives. "Your father loved Lady Lyanna very much and what I last heard was that he was at a Dornish tower with her when the Rebellion broke out. The Lady died and so did you father, but they seemed to have had a son, the Lady died in childbed, a horrible painful death and she probably felt scared and alone. The child is as safe as he could be from what I know and no one knows his true identity, no one alive that is, and I believe he does not know it either. When we take back what is yours by right, I would like it very much if you honor your father's memory by acknowledging your brother. He is of your blood and I am sure his parents loved him very much." Elia looked at her children's pale faces. They looked alike and yet at the same time they were so different – but they shared one great feature – Rhaegar's kind heart and love of family.

"Of course we will acknowledge him, as long as this does not bring you any pain, Lady Mother." Rhaenys spoke first.

"The boy is innocent of any crime and there was no crime in a tragically-ended love story, my precious. Your father followed his heart and whatever damage it might have done to my ego, it is long-healed and I regret that this boy was raised without ever knowing who his true father is."

"Where is he?" Aegon asked quietly. Sure, as a little boy he did not enjoy being forced to play with his sister's dolls and he dreamt of having a brother, but even at a young age he understood that this boy's existence might have caused great pain to his mother at some point.

"My resource said that he is training to be a man of the Night's Watch," Elia started.

"Then why do we have to recognize him? He has pledged his life away; he might as well be a nobody!" Aegon exclaimed.

"Yes, but you will grant him a royal pardon and recognize him as your brother. He lived with House Stark and he is raised like a northerner and I am sure the Dragon within will surface sooner or later. He will need you. Robert will not reign forever and when he dies and that cruel boy ascends in his place, the Lannisters will want to rule through him and then war will break, just wait. We have to wait and meanwhile, the future queen will raise armies in her husband's name and we will go and meet them and pledge our allegiance. We will do right by you and by your father." Elia promised.

"We promise to recognize him and honor our father's memory." Both children promised.

"It is not about honoring His memory anymore!" Aegon was furious that he would be without his mother for the first time.

"No, it is not. It is about honoring the promise we made to our mother and is that not important to you, baby brother?" Rhaenys challenged.

"You know I will lay down my life for her!"

"No one needs you to lay down your life, be a prince of the blood and do your duty. If Daenerys commands that our mother is an ambassador, then she is one, she wins us armies, we win the war, we get to go home. Meanwhile, while mother is risking her life across the bloody sea, you work your entitled ass off and finally grow to be a man. Otherwise, I do not see the point in you. I know your cause to bring back the greatness of Valyria is a noble cause, I am sure both our Father and Aunt would allow you to pursue it at some point. But this point is not now, we are not home, we are not safe, we will never be safe until we take back what is ours. It is high time we go back to life, and I am very eager to do so. We have a home, far away, one that you do not remember but it is still there. We have people that fondly remember us and wish we were alive. Guess what? We are alive and we may not, under any circumstance, let down our people. They need us. Our mother needs us to do what she raised us to do. Do not be a weakling, be the dragon and pursue the greatness you were born for. I know that you are scared, I am also scared, I do not remember not being with her, but she will be fine, she is going home and so we will we, if we work hard enough and are smart with our choices. We must earn Daenerys' respect so she could hear our advice. We must obey her and our father."

Aegon stared at his sister with his jaw dropped; he had never seen such passion in her.

"Be the great man you were born to be and don't stand on the weak side of the coin like our uncle and grandfather." She said before leaving.


	5. Chapter 5

A lot of internal conflict raged within Rhaegar as the servants loaded Elia's belongings on the ship that was supposed to take her and Varys to Westeros.

"Quit fussing, you are not inspiring bravery into your children." Elia scolded him jokingly. She was also nervous but she was forcing down her fear of the unknown to inspire her kids.

"You are the brave one, not me."

"No more talking like that, Your Grace." she kissed his cheek gently. "I am leaving what is most precious in this world in your hands and I expect to see them unharmed when we meet again."

The _if we meet again_ was left unspoken between them. Rhaegar looked at her carefully- she was wearing a cotton tunic in black as she was mourning of the two Princes of Dorne, the brothers whom she had loved and lost; the leather pants that she had chosen (possibly to be in a more Viper-like fashion) and sandals that were often worn in Dorne. It hit him again how dishonorable he had been towards her and how nothing that he could do would ever make up for it.

"I will miss you." he whispered low enough only for her to hear.

"I will miss you too." she smiled. "Perhaps when we go home you could retire with me in Dorne… Our children may come too."

"As lovely as it sounds, it is almost impossible, my love. My sister will need us there, even if you choose to remain in Dorne.

Elia knew that this time Rhaegar would put his sister and the throne first and she was proud that this time he was doing the right thing.

"Do not let my children anywhere near these dragons, do not die and come home safely, your life is still ahead of you." She kissed his cheek one last time before moving to the _children_.

"Listen to your father, be brave, learn and make your voices heard. You are princes of the blood, dragons, heirs to two thrones and to a very powerful queen. I am proud of you and I love you, and we will be back together in no time." she held them close, thankful that she was going to go home and that they all trusted her with this very important mission.

"Stay as safe as you can, I beg of you…" Aegon started but Rhaenys nudged him.

"She is not going to die, and you need not beg. Lady Mother, please take care. Tell our cousins that we will come soon enough and we will spill vengeance for our uncles. We will make you proud." the princess kissed her mother's hand and Elia saw a fire in her eyes, the same one Oberyn had once had.

"Bittersweet, isn't it?" Varys asked once they were on the ship. "Going home, but without them?"

"I will not be without them for long." Elia promised. "Have you found a way to contact the _boy_ , Varys?"

"I believe what we are looking for will be waiting for us in Dorne." the eunuch reassured her.

Dany could see the heartbreak in Rhaenys and Aegon's eyes but did not know what to do to ease it. She wondered whether her mother would have done the same for her and Viserys if she had not died in childbed. Dany sighed, turned around and headed back to the pyramid.

"A penny for your thoughts?" offered her brother

"Would mother have done the same for me and Viserys as did Elia? I mean, would she have run away with us if she had a chance and protected us? Imagine if she were here, and Viserys, and Drogo and Rhaego…" Dany had a sad smile on her face. So many of her loved ones had been claimed by death. She tried to imagine her lady mother like Viserys had described her - of average height, slender, with beautiful purple eyes, a kind smile, very long silver hair and always willing to hold her children. She imagined what it would feel like if she was there to give her council, and Drogo, and watching Rhaego grow and thrive, and also Viserys reconnecting with what he considered long lost. _Viserys would have killed Rhaegar for abandoning us._ Dany thought. _And he would have whipped me for forgiving him so easily._ She felt a pang of guilt but then realized that Viserys was there in some Heaven with their mother and Drogo and Rhaego and she envied him.

"As painful as it is to live without them, you must keep living. And if they were alive then I am not so sure we would be here, circumstances would have been different and you would have been a mere khaleesi to a khal and a potential heir to the Iron Throne. I could never marry you because your khal would never allow that, I would have to take the throne for myself as it would be madness to let Viserys rule and mother would probably heartsick between us fighting. Perhaps the losses you endured were all for a greater good and would help you finally claim your inheritance, sister." Rhaegar attempted to reassure her but Dany had stopped listening somewhere around the part where he mentioned marriage.

"You want to marry me?" she looked at him shocked. He blushed.

"Well, i am one of your three choices, should you decide to marry, am I not?" he looked at her "To keep the line _pure,_ " he flinched "you would have to have either my child or one of my sons'.."

"Aegon is but a child!" Dany exclaimed. The young dragon was walking some paces behind her and was engaged in a deep conversation with Ser Barristan and The Sword of the Morning.

"He is older than you!" Rhaegar protested

"That may be so, but he is an unblooded boy and I am a queen. We would not be a suitable match. And Jon may perhaps want to stay in the North where he knows the people and the people would follow him because of Ned Stark, as I am sure no one is very fond of you. He may not want to marry me and I do not even know him. So i suppose, if i were to marry it would, indeed be, to you." she almost laughed. There he was, standing infront of her, like a knight from a fairy tale; he was everything that she never knew wanted, she knew and did not know him at the same time, she understood the pain that lingered in his eyes and she was sure that he understood her pain as well. _We would be perfect._ She thought of a book that Viserys had once shown her that once upon a time before the Doom, Valyrians would mend broken pieces by melting gold between them. _Any child of ours would be made of gold._ Dany's heart ached and silently she went back to her rooms.

"Did you say anything to offend her?" Aegon looked at his father who only shrugged and followed his son and two old friends to the gardens.

Rhaenys decided to find out what had happened and she desperately wanted to befriend her aunt. She waited a few minutes before knocking on her door.

"Your grace, are you alright?" The young princess heard steps towards the door and before she knew it, Dany had let her in.

"Would you like some wine, Rhaenys?" Dany offered. She too was in desperate need of a friend and befriending her niece seemed like the most sensible thing to do.

"Yes, please." Rhaenys sat on some pillows beside the queen's bed.

Dany offered her a cup of the nicest wine she could get in Meeren and then sat beside her.

"It is difficult and wearisome business being a queen." she raised her cup and took a sip. "Your father made a sensible proposition that caught me off guard." Dany knew that the two _children_ would not like the idea but they would bite down their opinions as their mother must have ordered them.

"He suggested marrying you?" Rhaenys had figured out that that would happen and she knew it was unreasonable to hope that the queen would choose not to marry.

"He did. Are you sure you want me to discuss this with you?" Dany looked at her niece and felt a bit awkward so she decided to fill the silence with large gulps of wine.

"Of course. I would love for us to be friends and friends share if you don't want to talk about this, we can discuss anything else." Rhaenys smiled encouragingly.

"You have the same smile that Viserys had." Dany blurted out. She had just noticed it but it was true - she had forgotten about that smile because she had not seen it in a very long time but it warmed her heart. Perhaps, wherever Viserys was, he was happy and looking over her.

"I remember him, vaguely. He was not that much older than me, and I remember he would read to me sometimes when mother was too tired and father was away. I think lady grandmother sent him to keep me busy so mother could rest." Rhaenys shrugged and took a sip of her wine. "Lady grandmother was fantastic. I was very little but I doubt I will ever forget her kind smile. She and I spent a lot of time together because Viserys, _Vissy_ he would sometimes prefer spending time with the King rather than with his mother and I guess she felt lonely and I used to be the baby in the house." Rhaenys chuckled. "Gods, this truly was several lifetimes ago."

"Tell me more." Dany looked at her. "Viserys didn't love speaking about our mother and I understand why, he loved her very much and it hurt him to think but I have no one else to learn from. _I had no one else to learn from_." she corrected herself.

"You do have resources to learn from now. My memories are foggy, but I am sure Mother would not mind talking about the past with you, and Father too. I remember Viserys was never really close with Father. He seemed jealous of him so he avoided him as much as he could and did his best to impress the King."

"When we were young he told me he would go with Father and walk pass the dragon skulls in the Great Hall and recite their names and owners, and later he would be rewarded a sweet if he got them all right." Dany smiled.

"I recall him showing off his achievements to me, and I remember him reciting them to me as practice _over and over_ again to make sure he had them all right." Rhaenys chuckled. "It's a pity we did not have a chance to grow up together, all of us. He was still a child and yet he had to suffer through so much. I bet it changed him and not for the better." she smiled sadly.

"We lived in a house with a Red Door in Braavos with Ser Willem Darry when we got to Essos, but Ser was very old and he did not live for very long, and then we had to go on the run because we were robbed of our money and Robert had hired assassins. Viserys had to sell Mother's crown and I think that was his breaking point, he was never happy again and people calling him _Beggar King_ did not help."

"Was it scary?" Dany looked up at the confusing question.

"Was what scary?"

"Being married off to a stranger." Rhaenys seemed worried and Dany assumed that she was anxious that she would suffer an arranged marriage.

"It was terrifying, but it also meant that I was no longer under Viserys' protection and his protection was not necessarily the best or the healthiest. I gained a whole family, I gained a husband who grew to love me and whom I grew to love, I had a son that I felt live within me, I got to see some of the most beautiful sights in Essos and I regret nothing."

"The Dothraki have a scary reputation."

"And rightly so. They are fierce warriors, they will sack a city and not give it a second thought. They will not follow anyone weak, and to gain back their respect I burned the khals that kidnapped me." she chuckled. Saying it outloud felt a bit ridiculous but she felt empowered. "They wanted to confine me to the Dosh Khaleen because that is where the widowed khaleesis go but I guess things did not go how they planned." she chuckled and Rhaenys joined her.

"I admire your journey and you make a wonderful queen. Just, kind, and powerful. Long may you reign." Rhaenys raised her wine and they cheered.

"You are my heir and as such I think it would be good for you if you attend meetings of the Council and are involved in formal business. It can be a bit tedious but I will appoint your Father as Hand and it will be a great learning experience for the both of us."

"Lord Tyrion was Hand as well, did you know?" Rhaenys looked at the queen. She felt a bit uneasy at the thought of her Father being Hand but it was up to the Queen to decide. "Well, he was Hand instead of his father, Lord Tywin, and he assisted King Joffrey's council."

"Is he not accused of killing said King?"

"He is, but Varys would have never saved him if he had done the deed, I think. He helped win the battle of Blackwater Bay, he saved King's Landing."

"And so you propose that I appoint him as my Hand?"

"I say you consider it. My Father is a wonderful man, and he has vowed to help you with everything he can, but it might cause riots in Westeros if he was Hand. The people will be scared and angry that they have been lied to for so long. They all have painted us - Mother, Aegon and I as martyrs, and my Father as some sort of a villain. We will have a lot of prove and everyone knows how much His Grace, the Old King relied on Lord Tywin."  
"I do not want to be a Mad Queen or at least be percepted as one." Dany interrupted Rhaenys.

"Everyone knows that Lord Tyrion had little love for his father. They also know that he is one of the most brilliant minds in Westeros, and that Queen Cersei loathes him and has offered lordship for his head. Maybe you will have her head for usurping your throne and destroying the land." Rhaenys smiled and sipped her wine.

"I am in no rush to appoint a Hand, as we have not gotten to Westeros, but if Lord Tyrion earns my trust, he will be considered for the position."

"May he attend Council meetings then?"

"He may. Afterall, with Varys and Elia gone now, Lord Tyrion is the only one with somewhat viable information and we will need all the information we can get."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

"Thank you for the advice. Should it come down to it, you will make a wonderful queen, I am sure. And to answer your previous fears, I will not demand you marry a stranger to seal alliances. If you decide to marry that will be up to you. If the Throne falls in your hands, maybe you will have to marry, unless you choose to fall into the steps of Baelor the Blessed or you decide to carve your own path. I heard your brother's desires to travel and restore all scripts that he could get his hands on, the mission of restoring Old Valyria to its glory, and I will fund his travels and help in any way I can as soon as we are settled, I promise." Dany vowed and saw some weight lifted off the young girl's shoulders.

"Thank you, Your Grace."

"Call me Dany from now on, if we are to be friends." her niece smiled shyly and nodded.

Later that night there was a knock on the door of the Queen's chambers. Dany went to open it, only to find her brother standing there.

"What is it?" she looked at him.

"Why are you so cold?" He asked her and followed her inside the chamber.

"Cold? Are you drunk?"

"No, well, I had a cup of wine or two, but I can hold my liquor." he slurred a bit to which Dany chuckled.

"It does not seem so to me. Go to bed, Rhaegar. We can speak tomorrow."

"Why are you cold?"

" _Cold?_ I am not _cold_ , I am **busy**. Are you familiar with that sensation? I have to plan so many things and go over so many details to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as it can."

"Marry me." he offered again.

"R, you are drunk out of your wits. Go to your room and get some rest. We can talk tomorrow." she sighed as he stepped closer to her. He was dressed in leather Dothraki pants (those were his attempts to blend in with the crowd), and a cotton white shirt. His hair was tied in a knot on the back of his head and he looked like a God.

"R?" he smiled. "I like it." he kissed her hand.

"Come here." she pulled him to her bed. "Since you are so stubborn to go to your room, you may sleep here." he followed her like a lost puppy and sat on the bed. She freed his hair from the knot and reached to grab her own brush. "Whenever I was restless, and of course, if Viserys was in a pleasant mood, he would brush out my hair until I fell asleep." she recalled fondly as she started working through his hair.

"He always hated me, because I was the heir, and Mother's favorite." R's shoulders slumped down. "I encouraged his learning and always praised him yet the envy was there even when he was little." Dany did not doubt the truth in these words.

"He blamed me for being born last." Dany confessed. "He said that if I had been born before him, you and I would have been married and none of what happened would have. He said it was all my fault for being born so late and that I ruined everything."

"You ruined everything?" R laughed. "No, that was me. I fell in love and decided to follow my heart's desire. I should have stayed behind and protected Mother and Elia and the children, and you, and Viserys. I should have been King. Father was long overdue a replacement."

"What was he like?" Dany had been afraid to learn of the Mad King, but everyone had a different tale to tell. Viserys always spoke fondly of him, but Dany had learned later on that their Mother had shielded him from the worst behaviour of the king.

"He was kind, once upon a time. He did not love Mother, though - that was plain to see. He knew it was their duty to continue the line, but there was no love between them. I think he loved another lady, but I am not sure." he smiled. "Perhaps we have half-siblings somewhere in Westeros. Do you imagine?"

"Half-siblings? Surely, they would be illegitimate!" Dany kept brushing his hair.

"True, he has not acknowledged them. Do you want to know who I suspect?"

"What sort of question is that! Of course I want to know!"

"I think Father was in love with Lady Joanna Lannister. She had been sent for King Jaeherys' coronation to King's Landing and she appointed to be one of the ladies in waiting to Mother. Mother told me once that she suspected that the King had had an affair with her and Varys agrees but he says also that Grand Maester Pycelle disagrees and says that Lord Tywin would have never married another man's spoils."

Dany gasped. "You think Lord Tyrion could be our brother?"

"No, I think the Golden Twins might be our brother and sister. Maybe the Queen reigning now is our sister and heir of Aerys' without even knowing it." he chuckled. "Lord Tywin thought it suitable to offer her to be my wife, once upon a time. We were visiting the Rock and a tournament was held in our honour. Aerys told his Hand that while he may be his best servant, _A man does not marry his servant's daughter to his heir._ " R laughed and so did Dany.

"So, it may be that these Lannisters are half-dragons."  
"A whole dragon can beat the half-dragon, and two dragons are stronger than one." R turned around and pulled her closer to him, so now she was sitting in his lap. "I am sure in my bones that we can win this war. You are a brilliant queen and your claim is truer than any of Aerys' bastards. I am sure that Elia and Varys will win the kingdoms to our cause. Your dragons are splendid, and the future ahead of us is splendid." his smile was warm and Dany kept playing with his hair.

"I am not going to let anyone down, you can be sure of that. Lord Tyrion will attend our Council meetings and I will in turn, consider him to be my Hand. He has also asked for a just trial for his brother, Jaime."

"And what do you mean to do with Cersei then?"

"Oh, if her reputation is true, she will surely want to kill me, as she has killed another young queen and tried to murder another - the young wolf queen."

"Wolf Queen?" R tilted his head.

"Yes, Tyrion's wife. She is rightly Queen in the North, with all her brothers dead."

"Jon should be King in the North." R frowned. "He is my son, and more importantly _Lyanna's_. She was an heir of Winterfell, and Winterfell had 3 sons and a daughter. Eddard and Brandon are dead, the other Stark went to the Wall and so since Jon is older than Sansa, he should be King in the North." R argued.

"Do you think he will rally to our cause? Do you think the North will rise for the dragons?"

"The North has never been too fond of us, truth be told. I am sure they hate me for what happened to her, but I am sure they will follow him because he is her son." he smiled sadly and she caressed his cheek with the tips of her fingers. He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck and Dany's heart raced. It was a queer feeling for her, holding him like that and sharing these thoughts - it all fit and she felt whole for the first time in her life. He placed a light kiss on her collarbone and she closed her eyes. _I can't fall in love with him, or else death will take him too._ She kept playing with his hair.

"We will take back what is ours with fire and blood, be sure of that." she smiled.

"Spoken like a true Targaryen." he planted another kiss on her, but this time it was her lips.


	6. Chapter 6

The journey to Dorne was long but painless. Elia found Varys a good companion even though she trusted him as far as she could throw him. It was at the break of dawn when the Spider came in the Princess' cabin to tell her that they will be in the Dornish harbor within the hour.

"They expect Quentyn." Elia dressed in the same clothes she had when they'd left Meeren.

"Yes, and the Sand Snakes will be sorely disappointed that he is not dead." Varys added and Elia shot him a look. "I hope your portraits will be enough to convince them of your identity."

They got off the ship before midday and Elia was not surprised to find soldiers prowling through the Harbor.

"You should see us to whoever rules Dorne these days." Varys told the soldiers.

"That is what we intend to do." The commander responded.

Thankfully, the journey from the Harbor to the palace in Sunspear was not long, and yet the princess did not know what to expect. The soldiers took them straight to the garden where four young girls and a tall woman were standing. Elia recognised her brother's paramour immediately and anger fumed inside her that this bastard woman was sitting on the Dornish throne.

"Who are you?" One of the girls demanded but when Varys started to speak Ellaria interrupted him.

"Lord Varys, what an unexpected surprise," she smiled condescendingly "have you come to swear fealty in hopes we protect you from Cersei?"

"I am afraid not." He smiled. "And perhaps you should be more respectful of your princess, although, word is that you don't value your royalty much now these days." Varys gestured and Elia took the veil with which she had covered her face.

"My name is Elia Martell, wife of Prince Rhaegar, mother of Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon, and sister to Princes Doran and Oberyn." Ellaria immediately paled and tried to protest but Elia raised her hand. She glanced at one of the guards and gave him instructions to her old room, which she was certain that her brothers would have not taken down, and ordered them to bring her the portrait of younger Elia and Oberyn sitting with Prince Doran. Moments later, the Sand Snakes and Ellaria were convinced in the identity of the Princess.

"No one must know yet that I am here. I want you to command the Dornish fleet to sail with provisions for Meeren immediately, we have a war to win." Ellaria tried to argue but Elia ignored her and sent for a quill and paper. "Now, where are Trystane and Arienne?"

"We have them in the Tower of the Sun, unharmed, of course." Tyene Sand spoke. "My name is Tyene and these are my sisters - Obara, Lady Nymeria, Elia and Sarella." _She has his eyes, they all do._ Elia realized, and nodded at them.

"Go and fetch them while your mother and I discuss matters of state." Elia offered Varys a seat at their improvised Privy Council, which he took, and the two allies listened carefully to Ellaria's report - to Elia's surprise Ellaria confessed to having the Lannister girl killed and it almost amused her how she tried to atone for it by saying that she was glad that a strong leader would lead the Dornish now.

"You thought that the Lannisters had me and my children killed so you tried to use their own poisons against them? Have you lost your wits? Why should a girl pay for her parents' sins?" Elia demanded. She knew she would have to bear Ellaria until after the war but the feeling of unease lingered. "I understand you want to avenge Oberyn, I know that Doran was not a man of action, but you could have prevented both of their deaths." her anger surfaced. You will have one of the Unsullied following you night and day until further notice and until the Queen judges otherwise." Ellaria wanted to protest but knew it was not the place. "I will not imprison any of the Sand Snakes and none of you will lose her freedom, but you will be supervised and followed."

* * *

Arienne had not realized how much she missed her brother. Separated by their age gap, they had grown apart but in their grief they had reunited. When their cousin Obara came with a key to the two cells, Arienne knew that Trystane would have a dagger somewhere up his sleeve, as the future was uncertain for both of them.

 _At least Quentyn is far, far away from here._ the thought was tragically consoling, they had not heard anything of the prince.

"Where are we going?" Arienne glared at Obara. She felt betrayed when Ellaria had ordered for Arienne and Trystane to be confined to the Tower of the Sun but she had been forced to understand the blinding rage and grief that accompanied the loss of a father.

"You are expected in the gardens. Both of you. Brace yourselves." Obara gave a sideways glance at Trystane and Arienne and led them to the gardens.

"Niece, why are you not in your rightful seat?" a tall, slender woman glared at the Princess. Arienne felt like a scolded child even though she was not at fault. She guessed that her expression said everything because the woman's scorn melted into a smile. She stepped towards both Arienne and Trystane and hugged them tight.

"You look so much like him. I saw Quentyn as well, and he looks more like your lady mother, but you two are the image of Doran at the respectful ages." she cupped their cheeks and Arienne saw the tears in her eyes. The doubtful princess took a step back and looked at the woman.

" _Who are you?"_

The woman chuckled. "Where are my wits? I am sorry for frightening you. I am Elia Martell, Princess of Dorne."

"Princess Elia is dead and I will have your head for impersonating her." Trystane spat before Arienne could stop him. She saw the portrait that was put next to the table and she saw that the woman from the picture was the same as the one standing in front of her. She nudged Trystane and he shifted his gaze to the portrait and soon enough he also saw the similarity.

* * *

"Send for Lord Tyrion, please." Dany told Missandei and took her seat in the Council chamber. Moments later the said lord arrived in the chamber and bowed to his Queen.

"How may I serve you, Your Grace?"

"I would like to know about a matter regarding inheritance law in Westeros and my niece told me you are the brightest minds in Westeros, so who better to advise me?" She smiled encouragingly, hoping to melt his anxiety. "My brother thinks that the North should go to Jon Snow, as he is the living heir of Lady Lyanna, but if I am not mistaken, if any of Ned Stark's children, regardless of gender, the North should go to them."

"You are correct, my Queen. Winterfell went to Robb Stark after Joffrey executed his Father, then it went to Bran and Rickon Stark but rumor has it that they are dead, and thus Winterfell should now belong to my Lady Wife, Sansa. Should she die, it would go to her sister Arya who has not been seen since the execution, and **then** it would pass to Jon Snow, but till the truth comes out his claim would be as Ned Stark's bastard and not as Lyanna's heir."

"I think I should change the law of inheritance, I agree that Winterfell should be Lady Sansa's, is she not the second-child of Lord Stark?" Tyrion nodded before Dany continued. "I should implement that succession should follow the order of birth, regardless of gender. If we follow the law now, the only way for me to get to the Iron throne would be by marrying Aegon." She chuckled which earned her a smile from Tyrion.

"Or by conquest, your grace. You are a daughter of Aegon the Conqueror if anything."

"As is Rhaegar, as are Jon, Aegon and Rhaenys."

"Does His Grace, Prince Rhaegar not want to rule?"

"As far as I know, it is up to me to decide for him. I will be queen, and if we marry then he will be consort, not King." Dany realized that Rhaegar may have offered her his hand only to spare one of his sons of having to rule. _Ser Barristan told me how much he'd dreaded his inheritance._

"Noble of him, i must admit. I served as Hand and it was both exhausting and rewarding. People hated me but there is nothing new in that." He chuckled. "I would be glad to serve your grace, however I can. I would pledge you my sword but I do not own one." Dany smiled.

"I require only your knowledge and council."

They were interrupted by Missandei who stormed into the Chamber and bowed.

"Your grace, I am sorry for interrupting but there are Westerosi visitors in the Throne room who say are on diplomatic mission. They ask for an audience with you."

"How many?"

"Two in the Throne room but Grey Worm says that they have brought a fleet of a hundred ships." Dany's glance moved from her translator to Tyrion Lannister.

"Do you know who would do this? Is it not early for Varys to be back? Come."

Tyrion shrugged and Dany got up, to go to her Throne room in the Pyramid. She sat on the stone throne and nodded to the two guards to open the doors. Tyrion stood on her right side, waiting.

Two tall figures, male and female strolled in the throne room and knelt before the steps of the throne.

"Ironborn." Dany heard Tyrion say quietly.

"Rise." Dany looked at them carefully. The man was scrawny, and had a scared look in his eyes. The female was strong, confident and had a look that said _I am ready to conquer the world._

"Your grace, my name is Asha Greyjoy, daughter of Lord Balon Greyjoy, King of the Iron islands. This is my brother Theon."

"Merry meet." Dany nodded. "You have travelled half a world away from your home. I doubt you came here only to introduce yourself."

"You are right, Your Grace. We have come to offer our ships and swords to you, we would like to be your allies."

"And in exchange, I would have to marry you, I suppose?" She eyed Theon who turned beet red and lowered his gaze. He did not speak, but his sister smiled.

"I would want for you to support my claim on the Salt throne." Asha spoke. "And a marriage is unnecessary but we could marry if you want." That made Dany chuckle.

Tyrion spoke, his gaze fixed on the Greyjoy boy. "The last time I saw you, you were Robb Stark's friend, drunk on the idea of being the heir to the Salt Throne. Have you changed your tune?"

"I have."

"And you do not want me to support _your_ claim instead of hers?" Dany looked at him again. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"The Iron islands have never been ruled by a woman, but the only worthy heir of Lord Balon is Asha. Our uncle has claimed her throne now, and he too will say here to make his offer but in exchange for his fleet he will generously offer you his cock."

Dany laughed. "None of our fathers were good people. Thus, the task to make the world a better place than what we found it falls to us. You will have my support to your claim but you will abolish the salt wives, thralls, raids and rapings among your people." Dany saw Asha pale. The ironborn were known for their deeds.

"That is the way of life."

"Was your way of life." Dany corrected her. "Abolish it and you will have my support. Otherwise, the next time we meet it will not be so pleasant."

Dany liked the idea of ruling Westeros and having a predominantly female council. Of course, it was something completely unheard of in her kingdom, but so was the fact that she would be queen. It was good that the Greyjoys had fled with their fleet because that meant more ships for Dany's army.

"If I may have a word, your grace?" Daario's voice made her freeze in her tracks. She turned to him, and immediately realized that he had come to beg again to join them on the journey to Westeros.

"If the word is anything related to you coming with us to Westeros then I won't hear it. My decision is final."

"Your grace, you only have your bloodriders in your guard… it is not nearly enough."

"I have thousands of Dothraki riders and several thousand Unsullied. I think i am quite safe."

"Then you are quite foolish. The further west you travel, the more dangerous it will be for you and your family."

"And you say you could protect us?" She knew that he was a glorious warrior but he was also a vulnerability that could be used against her.

"You know I can."

"My answer remains no, Daario. You are a vulnerability. You would be much safer here." She walked away from him and started towards the Dragon Pit that she had build as a sort of arena for training the dragons. She saw Rhaenys, Rhaegar and Aegon watching the dragons from the sidelines and she lifted her dress a bit and pinned it in place before walking over to her children with the buckets of meat prepared for them.

"Be careful!" Rhaegar shouted which made Dany roll her eyes. She imagined his expression had he seen her join Drogo on his funeral pyre, the night that her dragons were hatched. He would probably have never let her do it.

Drogon sensed her first and clawed his way towards her. She threw a large bloody steak at him and he roasted it while it was still in the air and swallowed it whole, which made Dany smile. Viserion and Rhaegal soon joined them and Dany completely zoned out while taking care of them. Most servants were scared of the dragons, and so Dany had asked Daario and Grey Worm to carry buckets of meat and fish near the dragon pit and she would take care of the rest, it was good that people were scared of them. Dany pulled out her whip out of her belt and pointed it at Viserion. _Fly!_ She whacked the whip at him after yelling the command in Valyrian, and Viserion stretched like a kitten before obeying. She threw a steak as high as she could which he dove down to catch, as a treat. She turned her attention to Rhaegal and did the same before stepping towards Drogon and climbing on his back. She caressed the scales on his head gently before commanding him to spit fire and fly. She hadn't planned on leaving but she desperately needed some time away.

Rhaegar did not like that Dany exposed herself to danger by feeding the dragons but he also knew that he could do nothing but stand in the sidelines and hope for the best and that is exactly what he did. Aegon and Rhaenys had asked to be allowed to watch the feeding of the dragons and so they joined Rhaegar and Dany to the pit, but the Queen had insisted that they stay in the sidelines, out of the direct sight of the dragons so they would be somewhat safer.

Rhaegar knew that Dany would never do anything to put any of them in harm's way, but he felt like a helpless fool when she set the pit on fire and flew away. The fire did not reach the audience stands where the royal family was standing but Rhaegar and Arthur rushed away with Aegon and Rhaenys and walked back to the relative safety of the pyramid. Because of her flying away so surprisingly, Rhaegar felt increasingly uneasy and did not know for whom to worry most. He needed her close by as she gave him a sense of ease and steadiness.

He spent the day going through papers with Lord Tyrion and his children, preparing for the war to come.

When she did not return for dinner, the pit in his stomach grew deeper and he felt like he would be swallowed up by it.

"Father, may I please train with Quentyn tomorrow morning?" Aegon asked, taking advantage of his father's distractedness. He was aware that Dany might choose him to be her King consort and as such, Aegon wanted to know everything he could learn from his cousin. Rhaenys knew that he was preparing for the worst outcome.

"Sure." Rhaegar responded mechanically as he stared out in the night sky, not noticing anything around him. He turned his look around only when Rhaenys approached him with a cup of mulled wine which she handed to him.

"The dragons would never harm her or let anyone get close enough to do it." She tried to reassure him.

"I should hope so, I only wish she was not alone out there."

"She can manage and your presence is more valued here, Father. Her Grace is rarely ever alone and probably left in such a rush because she needed some space to breathe and think in peace. She is a young woman who has spent most of her life facing the dangers that come with being an heir to the throne and the people she has loved the most are forever gone from here. Yet, the family she believed to be long lost came back to her in the hour before she inherits her throne. Do you think she truly trusts us? Probably not. She keeps us close and tries to get to know us to see if we are trustworthy but she probably expects a dagger in her back at any moment. And let us not forget that she is about to embark on a journey to a completely foreign land to fight for a legacy of a madman, and to gain back a fabled court which would supposedly make all of her dreams come true and fulfill her destiny. She knows she will pay a hefty price for that kingdom and she will lose many of the people that have helped her survive this far. And she knows that she is turning her back on a land that she has known all her life for a kingdom and a legacy I am not even sure she wants. And my brother is preparing to become her King Consort not because he is in love with her, but because he believes it is expected of him and I am terrified that it will not be the war that kills him but the pressure he puts on himself to make himself worthy of being your heir." Rhaenys kissed his cheek, curtseyed and left before he could process her words.

He stayed on the balcony thinking about everything to come and how he could protect everyone in his life that he had already failed, when he heard the flapping of the huge wings in the sky. He strained his eyes and saw Rhaegal and Viserion flying ahead, and Drogon flying relatively lower and slower than them.

Rhaegar slipped on his shoes and called for Arthur to follow him to the Dragon pit, to see what has happened with their queen. The two of them ran into the empty streets of Meeren undisturbed and reached the massive dragon pit within minutes.

"Stay here, they are likely to harm you if you approach them while she is not there." Rhaegar ordered Arthur as he grabbed two buckets of bloody meat to give to the dragons, hoping to soften their tempers enough to get closer and find Dany.

Arthur tried to protest but the prince locked the entryway after going in. He had fed and trained the dragons several times but all of them with Dany, so he was uneasy about how they would react to him.

"I am here." He spoke softly in Valyrian into the quiet night. "I am Rhaegar, your Mother's brother and I wish to take her home to safety." He approached the moving figures slowly and the pit was illuminated with a flame when the prince tossed the first stake towards the nearest moving figure which he saw was Viserion. The dragon swallowed hungrily the offering and stepped aside making pathway for the prince to approach his like-named dragon. Rhaegar gave the green dragon a stake and when Rhaegar spat fire, the prince saw that Drogon was lying down on the ground and he was looking at him, and there was a small figure on his back that was very still.

He spilled the remains of the meat between the other two dragons and grabbed the largest piece which he took to the largest beast. He could see more clearly now that Dany was safe and asleep on the dragon's back and he thanked all the gods that the dragons brought her back to him.

"I will take her home now, thank you for bringing her back to me." he spoke softly in Valyrian and for a second he thought he saw a flash of understanding in the dragon's eyes because the winged beast did nothing to prevent the prince from taking his mother away.

He did not let Arthur carry his sister back to the pyramids because it felt good to have her in his arms and it felt like keeping her safe is his responsibility.

"I will stay here with her until she wakes up." Rhaegar whispered to Arthur. "Please make sure Aegon does not go to train before dawn with Quentyn. He needs rest and I will have word with him after breakfast."

Arthur nodded. "Take care, my friend. I will see you in the morning"

Rhaegar put Dany in her bed and tucked her in just like their mother had tucked him in once and sat in the chair that faced the windows. He found himself enjoying the views that Meeren offered day and night, and he did not feel himself slip off into sleep in the minutes before dawn.

The last thing she remembered after that long day of flying around was climbing back onto Drogon's neck. She had never experienced such freedom until going away for the first time with Drogon. She didn't get to do it often yet every time she did she came back with a clearer mind and she wondered whether she would be able to do it at all in Westeros.

When she woke up the sun was high in the sky and she was back in her rooms in the pyramid. For a moment she thought she had dreamt it all and that she had never managed to get away from the never ending crowds and petitioners.

"Good morning." Rhaegar sat up from the chair next to her bed. He must have read the confused expression on her face because he only chuckled.

"The dragons brought you back shortly before dawn and you were sound asleep so i carried you to bed and stayed to make sure you were safe." He explained and she only nodded sleepily. "I will have your maidens bring you hot water for a bath, you must have had a wild day yesterday." He kissed her forehead before going back to his rooms to change. He was late for a meeting with Aegon but he knew that the young prince would probably understand.

"Father!" The boy smiled pleasantly and bowed before going to hug his father. Certain smiles of his reminded Rhaegar very much of Oberyn and Elia, but when the boy smiled with his eyes, he could see remnants of his own mother, Queen Rhaella and he knew deep down that she was watching over them.

"I am sorry I am late but I had to make sure Dany had everything when she woke up." The two of them sat in the council chamber because there was a council meeting to be had shortly after that and the room smelled of grapefruit and lavender and it was pleasantly cool despite the hotness of the day.

"I hope her Grace is good, when did she come back?"

"In the very early hours of the morning and she slept up until recently. And speaking of the early hours of the morning, I understand from your sister that you spend all night in the library and then sleep only for a short time before rising at dawn to train…"

"I must be in top shape, father. Both of mind and form. If I am to be King, the Queen will need a warrior at her side and a wise advisor."

"And do you wish to be King?"

"Not really. Her Grace is a beautiful woman and we are of the same age but I barely know her and I thought that if I were to get married it would be to a person of my own choosing. Mother had faith that our time would come but I was always skeptical and so I dreamt of a life where I was just Aegon, named for the famous king and that I would have a quiet life somewhere peaceful and private away from the noise of a big city, that would be wonderful. Of course, this is foolish…"

"Why do you think it foolish? Yes, you are the firstborn male heir of the throne but you might have a shot of having your dreams come true if you are only considered an heir and not the king."

"Do you wish to marry her then and be King? Or would you force this fate upon my brother? We all know you love him so much, perhaps you want him to be king!" Aegon looked angrily at his father. A part of him understood that Rhaegar was trying to atone for his sins and make his children's lives less of a burden of being heirs to the throne but he could not help but be bitter about that boy that no one had even met that occupied such a large piece of the puzzle and that his mother was risking her life for.

"I was always intended to marry my firstborn sister. Mother had multiple miscarriages and stillbirths which resulted in me having six or seven dead siblings, some of which were girls. Aerys forbade her of sleeping alone ever again and he suspected she was being unfaithful to him so he sent septas to sleep in her bed on the nights she was not with him. If she had been born before Viserys, you would not have been here judging me. I do not have a favorite child and I summoned you here to tell you that I worry that the strain you put on yourself will drive you to an early grave before the war even starts. Take it up with the Queen if you wish so much to be her consort."


	7. Chapter 7

Dany was on the way to the council chambers when she saw Daario, who bowed before approaching her.

"Walk with me to the council chambers." Dany smiled.

"As you command, my queen." Daario returned the smile. In the absence of the spider, Daaroo had become a sort of a makeshift spymaster for her.

"What news do you have for me from the Free Cities?"

"The Dornish ships are approaching, their fleet as big as that of the ironborn. It seems that the Princess Elia did her job well, and the ships should be dropping anchor in Meeren within the week if the weather remains favorable. They seem to have faced a little trouble from Xaro Xaron Daxos but no great loss has happened. I was given this to forward to you, my queen."

"Who is it from then?" the letter was sealed with a seal she did not quite recognize.

"A rider was sent ahead from Yunkai by the Dornish ships, it could be a letter from the Spider…"

"Thank you for delivering this to me, I shall see to it and speak to you later. Please send envoys to Astapor and Yunkai, it is time I meet with ambassadors and settle the matter of who will rule in my stead." Dany commanded and walked into the chamber.

She broke the wax seal, her heart racing because she did not know what to expect with such a letter.

 _Your grace,_

 _I hope my letter finds you well. I am sending it through a rider that I have arranged to meet in Yunkai so the word reaches you faster._

 _Our mission with the Princess was successful. We have the Dornish and Tyrell alliances and their armies will wait for you on the shores of Westeros, excited to finally obey their rightful ruler. Lady Olenna Tyrell asked that you should perhaps consider her only unmarried grandson "the rose of her family", young Willas Tyrell. The boy is tall, comely, alas after a jousting incident against Ser Jaime Lannister, he is left a cripple._

 _The realm is in grave danger, your grace and I wish that the weather is favorable, so you land as soon as possible. Cersei Lannister rules worse than your late father if he is a criterion by which we can judge. We have avoided King's Landing by all means necessary but news reached us that all of the men on her council have ended up with horribly painful deaths should they have the audacity to have a disagreeing opinion. The land is plundered, the people are hungry and dying in the streets every day, Holy land is destroyed and the people are terrified of Cersei's wickedness. She is called_ _ **The Wicked Queen**_ _._

 _As I am writing this, I am travelling north to win their friendship to our side. Our precious jewel insisted to come with me to the north, despite missing her heart dearly._

 _I hope to see you soon._

 _Your faithful servant,_

 _LV._

Dany smiled despite herself. Varys and Elia had won the entire south to her cause and from her knowledge they had the largest number of land soldiers. With Dragonstone, Storm's End and the Riverlands unoccupied, the Lannisters were left with little to no allies, if she won over the North to her cause, then the kingdom would be at her feet. _And hopefully with minimum bloodshed._ she thought.

"Your grace!" Rhaenys bowed first when Dany walked in the council room. "I hope you are well. Should I ask for refreshments to be brought to you?"

"Good morning, Rhaenys and no, thank you." Dany sat on her chair. "Daario brought me a letter from Lord Varys that has good news. Your lady mother and Varys won over the entire south of Westeros to our cause, and they are travelling north, or at least they were when Varys wrote this letter. Cersei seems to be ruling very poorly and we should haste home."

Rhaegar, Rhaenys and Aegon exchanged looks.

"Your grace, may I bring my cousin Quentyn forward? We have been speaking a lot and while he was last under King Tommen's rule, he claims to have knowledge of the ways of the Lannisters." Aegon suggested. Rhaegar promptly kept quiet.

"Yes, I think it would be interesting if we hear more than one side of a story. Perhaps it will help enough that we don't go fighting completely blind." she turned to Grey Worm. "Send one of the guards to bring Lord Tyrion, and another to bring forward Prince Quentyn." she got up and walked outside to wait on the terrace. She needed time to gather her thoughts and clear her head to listen carefully to everything these people had to say.

"You!"Cersei pointed at a shy maid that she had seen around the main hall several times. "Go find Lord Qyburn and tell him that his queen commands his presence."

Cersei bathed in the sunlight that was shining bright on her terrace and waited for Qyburn's arrival. He was one of the few people that she knew she could and should count on, unlike Jaime of whom she was very unsure of, especially recently. Their uncle's death made Jaime very uneasy around her, because he suspected that she had ordered it. And Jaime coming back from his mission in the riverlands in time for her unexpected coronation had created a vast gap between them.

"Your grace." Qyburn bowed to her. "How may I be of service?"

"What news from the east, my lord? I hear that there is an army gathering, the army that Robert should have prevented by killing the Targaryen girl. We have heard fables of dragons for years now… Give me valuable information!"

"Your grace, I am afraid that my birds report it true.. I do not know of the dragons and whether they are a fable or not, but more and more merchants from Slaver's Bay report of that. What I do know, however, is that the Salt throne was taken by force from Balon Greyjoy's heirs and they sought alliances in the East… possibly with the Targaryen girl. In the north, Lord Eddard Stark's bastard was proclaimed King in the North, and Olenna Tyrell has closed Highgarden to all visitors outside of her tenants."

Jaime walked in just as Qyburn was finishing his report. Cersei looked bored at him and oddly, her look awfully reminded Jaime of the old Mad King.

"Cersei, may we have a private word?" Jaime requested, nodding at Qyburn to leave. He did not understand why Cersei put so much faith in the forsaken maester, but he was to an extent grateful that Qyburn had saved his life. The maester bowed to the golden twins before leaving.

"You are afraid, aren't you?" Cersei's looked pierced Jaime. "You are afraid of me, for the first time in your life. You are afraid because I am everything you should have been…" she took a sip from her goblet.

"I am not afraid, I am baffled." Jaime admitted. "I am baffled that you are not grieving for our baby boy. I am shocked that you blew up the Sept of Baelor, I am shocked that you are queen."

"I am my father's daughter, Jaime. His rightful heir. Our children died, and who else was to follow in their step? You? Do you think anyone would follow you? After everything you've done? Are you jealous?" she chuckled.

"I have even less desire to sit on that wicked throne than I had all those years ago." he admitted. "And I do not understand your desire, but true, who else would follow our glorious sons into the throne... It is only fitting that you do it."

"Don't you wish to be my consort now?" Cersei teased. "We could start our own dynasty… we could be open with the world about our love." Jaime's heart skipped a beat.

"Our own dynasty? Cersei, our children are dead. And do not speak to me of love, you have frowned upon me ever since I lost my hand." he spat at her. He knew she was mocking him, teasing only to attack, stalking her prey like the lioness she was.

"Our children are dead because of you." she spat back at him. "You should have been here to protect Joff from that treacherous whore Sansa, and our precious little brother that you so generously freed! I sent you to bring Myrcella home and what happened? She died because of Ellaria and her brood of bastards! And Tommen?" Cersei tilted her head. "You should have been a better father to him. He needed you and where I could not provide, you should have compensated. He died on his own account, betraying us both, for yet another treacherous whore."

"I know I should have protected Myrcella better." Jaime gritted his teeth. "But it is not my fault that Joffrey died, he had a Kingsguard about him and if I believed even for a second that Tyrion had a hand in his death, I would have executed him myself."

"Oh, yes, your oh-so-wise judgement to free the imp, has led to him feeding information about us to the Targaryen girl!" Cersei threw back at him. "She has named him Her Hand!"

Jaime was startled by this information, but of course it made sense. Tyrion was one of the smartest people in all of the Seven Kingdoms, the Targaryen girl had done well to go to him for counsel.

"What did Qyburn tell you?" Jaime demanded.

"We are surrounded by enemies, dear brother. And with the Freys dead, we have no allies except for our own kin whose alliance is doubtful at best… Olenna Tyrell, the old wretch has closed off Highgarden for all except her tenants.."

"Great! Winter is here and the biggest food provider of the realm has closed its doors because you blew up half their family! Brilliant move, Your Majesty!" Jaime mocked.

She ignored his mocking remark and continued. "The Targaryen girl will probably land soon and cause trouble from the east, the Gods know what shit pot are the Martells stirring and of course, the North is rallying behind Ned Stark's bastard and his whore of a daughter… I am the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms and they must come and bow to me!" It was clear how frustrated she was. Jaime did not want to think about the amount of wine she had consumed today, he did not want to dwell on her slim figure and the signs that she was not eating properly, if she was eating at all.

"Highgarden, Winterfell and Dorne will never ally themselves with us. The Riverlands and the Stormlands lack leadership, I agree that our kin has questionable reasons to be with us, so our only hope for allies is in the ironborn and rumor has it with the old squid dead, his heirs ran off to the dragon queen…"

"You recognize her as a queen?" Cersei shot him a murderous look.

"She will be if we fall, and how will we not when we do not have allies?"

"We have an army."

"A hungry, exhausted of war army of mercenaries that put their faith in our father."

"I listened to him for forty years, do you think I really did not learn from him? I will lead our army alongside you, and soon we will have an armada to crush all our enemies with."

"Where will you find an armada? Who will equip it? Fund it? All of the royal ships burned at Blackwater bay!"

"Another thing to thank that treacherous valonqar for. He burned our chance to crush her!"

"You must be mad if you thought Robert's petty ships could crush her armies of Unsullied."

"It seems to me that you are moving to her side,or are you just trying to undermine me to stroke your bruised ego? If so,you'll regret mocking me, little brother."

As most war council meetings, this was long, tedious and probably fruitless because no one truly knew the outcome of war except for the carnage, and Dany wanted these people to suffer the least.

"The ships will be here within the week. Daario also reported that Illyrio is on his way here and he has agreed to be my ambassador and rule in my stead." she announced. She was aware that she had to pay the merchant for what he did for her all those years ago and she could imagine him as the perfect ambassador to work for her in the three cities. "I have commanded the Dothraki to start preparing for the voyage, the Unsullied are getting ready too, as should you. It's time to go home." With those words she left the chamber and went outside to walk around the gardens. The sun was scorching but she did not mind sitting in the shade of the trees and watching life below in the city go by. She had met with the leaders of the different Meeren factions and told them of her plans, and she had warned that should there be trouble, she would bring the dragon wrath with her.

"Your grace, may I have a word?" Prince Quentyn bowed before her. She gestured for him to sit next to her. "I wish to apologize of my crude ways on our first meeting. I foolishly believed you would agree and unite with me because of our common cause…"

"Our common cause?"

"Yes, your grace. Our common cause is going home, is it not?" he smiled charmingly. Dany could see the beauty of this boy and she saw the similarities between him and her niece and nephew but she did not feel attracted to him.

"Oh, yes. I want to go home, but my reason for wanting to go home is to take what is mine and put things to their order. Every report that I have heard so far tells tales of our home bleeding and being torn apart, and I am afraid that if I wait any longer, there will be no home to go to. Our country needs peace and to be brought back to prosperity." she smiled sadly. "And in regards to your earlier proposition, my advice to you, dear prince, is to show more courtesy for the lady you wish to court next time. Demanding someone's hand as if they are an object to be bought or stolen is appalling and is below your princely status." she smiled to soften the atmosphere. "I completely understand why you did what you did and so I hold no grudges to you or yours. I see that you and Aegon have become fast friends and that pleases me greatly."

Quentyn nodded. "I am pleased that we are sailing home soon. I know my father will have assembled the armies and prepared to join you in the war to come. I know he buried his head in the dunes when he should have come to your aid, but his ways are … odd to say the least." Dany looked at him confused.

"My lord, Lord Varys reported that your sister Arienne rules and leads Dorne now. And from Lord Tyrion I heard that Ellaria Sand murdered your father. I am sorry for your loss… I thought you knew."

Quentyn froze. It had been a long time since he had been home, and he knew that his father would not send him on such an important mission if Dorne's place in the world did not depend on it. Quentyn knew that Doran's choice to send his eldest son was a glimmer of hope that he would atone for his father's sins, but hearing the news of his death hurt. He never wished that this day would come, he did not expect that it would come so soon and before he would be able to bring the dragon queen home. He failed his father, but at least he had atoned to some extent for his sins. The House Targaryen bore no grudges against the Martells and the dragon queen was going home, even if she would not be his wife.

"Thank you for telling me." Quentyn nodded. "It is incredibly sad to hear, and I hope my sister judges justly the fate of the murderers, but until such time comes, we have more important things to focus on. Now, if you will excuse me, I am late for a training session." he smiled sadly, bowed again before leaving her.


End file.
